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Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

Antithamnion armatum (J. Agardh) De Toni 1903: 1398.

Phylum Rhodophyta – Order Ceramiales – Family Ceramiaceae – Tribe Antithamnieae

Selected citations: Athanasiadis 1996: 143. Huisman 1997: 196. Huisman & Walker 1990: 418. Huisman et al. 1990: 96. Kendrick et al. 1990: 51. Lucas 1909: 51. Silva et al. 1996: 377. Wollaston 1968: 290, fig. 18A–J.

Synonyms

Callithamnion armatum J. Agardh 1885: 3.

Callithamnion plumula sensu Lucas 1909: 51.

Callithamnion plumula forma γ investiens J. Agardh 1876: 24.

Callithamnion simile sensu Harvey 1862, pl. 207 (in part, fig. 4?).

Thallus (Figs 41D, 43D) medium red-brown, with prostrate branched axes bearing erect unattached, distichously branched, fronds 1–3 cm high, the axial cells bearing opposite, distichously arranged pinnae with single pinnules (Fig. 43D) on the upper side of each cell, just overlapping the pinna above. Attachment by rhizoids (Fig. 43E) from the basal (and second) cell of the pinnae, each 3–7 cells long with a digitate hapteron; epiphytic on various algae. Structure. Apical cells 6–10 (–15) µm in diameter and L/D 1–1.25, enlarging rapidly after a few cells, and to 130–300 µm in diameter and L/D 1–1.5 (–2) in mature axial cells. Pinnae (Figs 41F, 43F) 500–800 µm and 8–12 cells long, closely branched, rachis cells 50–90 µm in diameter and L/D 1–1.4, slightly shorter basally and tapering to a small mucronate cell, each cell bearing a single pinnule (longest centrally on the pinna) adaxially, unbranched apart from adaxial short branches often bearing gland cells or tetrasporangia; pinnule cells 35–50 µm in diameter and L/D 1–1.5, tapering above to small, mucronate terminal cells; gland cells frequent (Figs 41F, 43F), on short 2–3-celled branches, often on 2–4 successive cells near the base of the pinnules. Lateral branches arise near apices in place of pinnae. Cells uninucleate; rhodoplasts discoid to elongate, ribbon like in larger cells.

Reproduction: Gametophytes dioecious. Procarps borne in series of 4–8 on basal cells of pinnae at branch apices, with 4-celled carpogonial branches. Carposporophytes with 1–3 lobes, each 180–350 µm across, with ovoid carposporangia 25–45 µm in diameter. Spermatangia terminal on densely branched clusters (Fig. 41E) on the end of the short branches bearing gland cells.

Tetrasporangia (Fig. 43G) borne on the lower side of special short branches which also bear the gland cells, sessile, ovoid, 45–75 µm in diameter, decussately or cruciately divided.

Type from "Novae Hollandiae"; lectotype in Herb. Agardh, LD, 18041.

Selected specimens: 7 mile Beach, N of Dongara, W. Aust., on Kuetzingia canaliculata, drift (Womersley, 17.ix.1979; AD, A51372). Port Denison, W. Aust., on Amphibolis?, drift (Kraft, 14.xii.1971; AD, A41724). Yanchep, W. Aust., drift (Womersley, 22.ix.1979; AD, A51268). Flinders Bay, W. Aust., on Amphibolis, drift (Wollaston, 12.ii.1957; AD, A29860). Point Sinclair, S. Aust., in sublittoral pools (Womersley, 26.i.1951; AD, A15123). Pearson I., S. Aust., on Zonaria, 20–25 m deep (Shepherd, 7.i.1969; AD, A33640). "Foul Ground", 7 km SE of Wedge I., S. Aust., on Callophycus oppositifolius, 23–38 m deep (Baldock, 4.i.1964; AD, A27190). Pennington Bay, Kangaroo I., S. Aust., drift (Womersley, 4.i.1948; AD, A6591). Stinky Bay, Nora Creina, S. Aust., drift (Abbott, 7.xi.1965; AD, A29695) and on Spyridia dasyoides, drift (Gordon, 26.i.1967; AD, A31633).


Distribution map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of SA

Distribution: Shark Bay, W. Aust., to Stinky Bay, Nora Creina, S. Australia.

Taxonomic notes: A. armatum is a distinctive species with its distichous pinnae with adaxial pinnules. In describing C. armatum, J. Agardh (1885, p. 3) apparently overlooked his C. plumula var. investiens J. Agardh (1876, p. 24) which was based on Harvey's Alg. Aust. Exsicc. 543A (as C. simile) from near Fremantle, W. Aust. Harvey's plate (1862, pl. 207) probable in part includes A. armatum, as for the W. Aust. specimens, but otherwise is of Pterothamnion nodiferum.

References:

AGARDH, J.G. (1876). Species Genera et Ordines Algarum. Vol. 3, Part 1- Epicrisis systematic Floridearum, pp. i-vii, 1–724. (Weigel: Leipzig.)

AGARDH, J.G. (1885). Till algernes systematik. VII. Florideae. Acta Univ. lund. 21, 1–120, Plate 1.

ATHANASIADIS, A. (1996). Morphology and classification of the Ceramioideae (Rhodophyta) based on phylogenetic principles. Opera Botanica No. 128, pp. 1–216.

DE TONI, G.B. (1903). Sylloge Algarum omnium hucusque Cognitarum. Vol. 4. Florideae. Sect. 3, pp. 775–1521 + 1523–1525. (Padua.)

HARVEY, W.H. (1862). Phycologia Australica. Vol. 4, Plates 181–240. (Reeve: London.)

HUISMAN, J.M. & WALKER, D.I. (1990). A catalogue of the marine plants of Rottnest Island, Western Australia, with notes on their distribution and biogeography. Kingia 1, 349–459.

HUISMAN, J.M. (1997). Marine Benthic Algae of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. In Wells, F.E. (Ed.) The Marine Flora and Fauna of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, pp. 177–237. (W. Aust. Museum: Perth.)

HUISMAN, J.M., KENDRICK, G.A., WALKER, D.I. & COUTÉ, A. (1990). The Marine Algae of Shark Bay, Western Australia. Research in Shark Bay. Report of the France-Australe Bicentenary Expedition Committee, pp. 89–100.

KENDRICK, G.A., HUISMAN, J.M. & WALKER, D.I. (1990). Benthic macroalgae of Shark Bay, Western Australia. Bot. Mar 33, 47–54.

LUCAS, A.H.S. (1909). Revised list of the Fucoideae and Florideae of Australia. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 34, 9–60.

SILVA, P.C., BASSON, P.W. & MOE, R.L. (1996). Catalogue of the Benthic Marine Algae of the Indian Ocean. (University of California Press: Berkeley, Los Angeles & London.)

WOLLASTON, E.M. (1968).Morphology and taxonomy of southern Australian genera of Crouanieae Schmitz (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta). Aust. J. Bot. 16, 217–417.

The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part IIIC complete list of references.

Author: E.M. Wollaston & H.B.S. Womersley

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (24 December, 1998)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Rhodophyta. Part IIIC. Ceramiales – Ceramiaceae, Dasyaceae
©State Herbarium of South Australia, Government of South Australia


Illustrations in Womersley Part IIIA, 1998: FIGS 41 D–F, 43 D–G.

Figure 41 image

Figure 41   enlarge

Fig. 41. A–C. Antithamnion gracilentum (A, AD, A25506; B, C, AD, A29856). A. Branches with carposporophytes. B. Pinna with spermatangial heads. C. Pinna with tetrasporangia. D–F. Antithamnion armatum (D, AD, A29695; E, AD, A31633; F, AD, A51268). D. Habit. E. Pinnules with spermatangial clusters. F. Pinnae with adaxial pinnules bearing gland cells and tetrasporangia

Figure 43 image

Figure 43   enlarge

Fig. 43. A–C. Antithamnion gracilentum. A. Young carposporophyte with deflected branch apex and fused lower cells. B. Spermatangial heads on pinnules. C. Tetrasporangia on lower cells of pinnules. D–G. Antithamnion armatum. D. Branching pattern. E Rhizoidal attachment filaments from basal cells of a whorl-branchlet. F. Distichous pinnae with adaxial pinnules bearing gland cells. G. Gland cells and tetrasporangia on short branches of pinnae. (All as in Wollaston 1968, courtesy of Aust. J. Bot.)


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