Electronic Flora of South Australia Genus Fact Sheet

Genus HUSSEYA J. Agardh 1901: 123, nom. cons.

Phylum Rhodophyta – Family Rhodomelaceae – Tribe Chondrieae

Thallus erect, robust, cartilaginous, irregularly branched for 3–4 orders, branches terete; actively growing apices depressed, when mature rounded, with trichoblasts; holdfast discoid, becoming fibrous. Structure. Apical filament short, apex broadening rapidly; 5 pericentral cells, derivative cells forming 1–3 outer rings which become separated by bands of rhizoids; the young epidermis remains meristematic and on lower branches forms an extensive secondary cortex. Pericentral and some outer ring cells developing wall thickenings which come to almost fill the cells.

Reproduction: Procarps on lower cells of trichoblasts on short, usually axillary, branchlets; carposporophytes with a basal fusion cell and clavate terminal carposporangia; cystocarps ovoid, pericarp ostiolate, lightly corticated. Spermatangial organs unknown.

Tetrasporangia borne in axillary branchlets clustered in axils of larger lateral branches, cut off from pericentral cells.

Type (and only) species: H. australis J. Agardh 1901: 123 [= H. rubra (Harvey) Silva in Silva et al. 1996: 501].

Taxonomic notes: The account of Gordon-Mills & Womersley (1984a) reaffirms the essential features of Husseya; this name has been accepted as a nomen conservandum over Husseyella Papenfuss (1958, p. 105), which was used in the extensive account of Gordon-Mills & Womersley. However, differences between Husseya and Chondria are relatively minor since some species of Chondria show to some degree the features distinguishing Husseya, e.g. outer rings of cortical cells (in C. incurva), and axillary branching in several species (e.g. C. incurva, C. subfasciculata and C. curdieana).

References:

AGARDH, J.G. (1901). Species Genera et Ordines Algarum. Vol. 3, Part 4, pp. 1–149. (Gleerup: Lund.)

GORDON-MILLS, E.M. & WOMERSLEY, H.B.S. (1984a). The morphology and relationships of Husseyella rubra (Harvey)comb. nov. (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta). Phycologia 23, 147–159.

PAPENFUSS, G.F. (1958). Notes on algal nomenclature. IV. Taxon 7, 104–109.

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

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

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (24 February, 2003)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Rhodophyta. Part IIID. Ceramiales – Delesseriaceae, Sarcomeniaceae, Rhodomelaceae
Reproduced with permission from The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part IIID 2003, by H.B.S. Womersley. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Copyright Commonwealth of Australia.

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