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Electronic Flora of South Australia Genus Fact Sheet
Phylum Rhodophyta – Order Ceramiales – Family Ceramiaceae – Tribe Pterothamnieae
Thallus erect, several to many cm high, much branched more or less complanately, lower axes corticated with rhizoids; holdfast rhizoidal, epilithic. Axial cells relatively large, with small or large (depending on the species) apical cells, with prominent umbonate pit-connections; each axial cell with two or three whorl-branchlets, usually one major and 2 minor and often pinnate in form, sometimes the pinnules themselves pinnate; basal cells of whorl-branchlets similar in size to upper cells and bearing pinnules; gland cells absent. Lateral branches developing in place of whorl-branchlets. Cells uninucleate.
Reproduction: Gametophytes (unknown in type species) dioecious. In B. mariana and B. ballioides, carpogonial branches borne on the basal (= supporting) cells of successive major whorl-branchlets, with the auxiliary cell forming 3–4-celled branches and the second cell fusing with the fertilized carpogonium; one or more gonimolobes develop and the carposporophyte is enveloped by 2 branched involucral branches from the basal (supporting) cell and one from the whorl-branchlet. Spermatangia terminal on special branches on cells of the pinnules.
Tetrasporangia terminal on special branch systems on the basal cells of pinnae, decussately divided.
Type species: B. brunonia Harvey 1840: 191 [= B. callitricha (C. Agardh) Kützing].
Taxonomic notes: A genus of 6 species, 4 from Australia and two [B. sertularioides (Suhr) Papenfuss and B. beckeri Schmitz] from South Africa. Two previous Australian species are now referred to Camontagnea, C. oxyclada and C. hirsuta (see Womersley 1994, pp. 73–76).
References:
HARVEY, W.H. (1840). Description of Ballia, a new genus of algae. Lond. J. Bot. 2, 190–193, Plate 60.
WOMERSLEY, H.B.S. (1994). The Marine Benthic Flora of southern Australia. Rhodophyta — Part IIIA. (ABRS: Canberra.)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part IIIC complete list of references.
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
KEY TO SPECIES OF BALLIA
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1. Whorl-branchlets in opposite pairs (in 3s in the tristichous form of B. callitricha) from each axial cell and usually about equal in length | 2 |
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1. Whorl-branchlets in whorls of 3 from each axial cell, each whorl composed of 1 long branchlet opposite a pair of short branchlets | 3 |
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2. Pinnules branched with opposite pairs of simple branches. Short branches, arising from basal cells of pinnae, always branched | B. callitricha |
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2. Pinnules, and short branches arising from basal cells of pinnae, always simple and unbranched | B. pennoides |
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3. Pinnules of pinna-like whorl-branchlets in whorls of 3 from each cell of the rachis and arranged in longitudinal rows (2 above and 1 below); pinnules usually alternately branched | B. mariana |
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3. Pinnules of pinna-like whorl-branchlets distichous in opposite pairs from each cell of the rachis; each pinnule bearing pairs of simple, opposite branches | B. ballioides |
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