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Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

Pollexfenia crispata (Zanardini) Falkenberg in Schmitz & Falkenberg 1897: 455, fig. 256.

Phylum Rhodophyta – Family Rhodomelaceae – Tribe Pterosiphonieae

Selected citations: Falkenberg 1901: 296. De Toni 1903: 980. Kylin 1956: fig. 421. Lucas 1909: 42. Lucas & Perrin 1947: 279, fig. 126. Tisdall 1898: 513.

Synonyms

Melanoseris crispata Zanardini 1874: 489. Sonder 1880: 32. Tisdall 1898: 513. Wilson 1892: 168.

Jeannerettia crispata (Zanardini) Papenfuss 1942: 448. May 1965: 399.

Thallus (Fig. 155A) erect, medium to dark brown red, 2–5 cm high, with flat branches 2–4 mm broad, margins linear but crispate with elongate polysiphonous papillae (Fig. 155C), situated mostly at the end of veins; apices rounded or tapering slightly. Holdfast a clasping disc; epiphytic on stems of Amphibolis. Structure. Apices with numerous apical cells producing congenitally fused systems (Fig. 155B), apical cells ovoid to conical, 12–18 µm in diameter, axial cells branching 2 to several cells apart, cutting off 4 pericentral cells, 2 on each surface, and occasional primordia which usually remain unicellular. Pericentral cells dividing transversely, with 2 (–3) corresponding to each axial cell and becoming irregular in position, mature derivative cells angular, irregularly isodiametric and mostly 35–65 µm across, L/D 1–1.5. Thallus mostly 2 cells thick, without a midrib. Trichoblasts near thallus apices or on polysiphonous papillae (Fig. 155C). Cells probably uninucleate; rhodoplasts discoid, chained in larger cells.

Reproduction: Reproductive organs marginal, associated with the papillae.

Gametophytes dioecious. Procarps not observed. Carposporophytes with a basal fusion cell and much branched gonimoblast with clavate terminal carposporangia 30–45 µm in diameter. Cystocarps (Fig. 155D) ovoid, 1–1.3 mm in diameter; pericarp ostiolate, 2 cells thick, outer cells compact, irregularly arranged, isodiametric and 45–75 µm across. Spermatangial organs (Fig. 155E) on ends of marginal papillae, on short trichoblasts, ovoid, 80–110 µm in diameter and 130–180 µm long, with 1–2 sterile basal cells and a single sterile apical cell.

Stichidia (Fig. 155F) robust, developed from marginal papillae, (0.3–) 0.5–1.5 mm long and 250–350 µm in diameter, corticated, tetrasporangia spirally arranged, one per segment, 70–110 µm in diameter.

Type from Port Phillip, Vic., on Amphibolis antarctica (Mueller); holotype in Herb. Zanardini, Venice.

Selected specimens: (all epiphytic on Amphibolis stems): Tiparra Reef, S. Aust., 12 m deep (Shepherd, 27.vii.1970; AD, A36013). Semaphore, S. Aust., drift (Harris, vii.1943; AD, A1971). Marino, S. Aust., drift (Womersley, 30.vi.1963; AD, A26464). Encounter Bay, S. Aust., drift (Cleland; AD, A3720). Kingston, S. Aust., 6–7 m deep (R. Lewis, 28.xi.1972; AD, A42868). Dutton Bay, Portland, Vic., drift (Womersley, 13.iv.1959; AD, A22701).


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

Distribution: Tiparra Reef, S. Aust., to Port Phillip, Victoria.

Taxonomic notes: Pollexfenia crispata agrees well with the genus but differs from the other species in habit and in having marginal papillae with which the reproductive organs are associated.

Pollexfenia ciliaris J. Agardh in Tate 1882b: 93 and Tepper 1883: 66, from Hallett Cove, S. Aust., is a nomen nudum, probably P. crispata.

References:

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

FALKENBERG, P. (1901). Die Rhodomelaceen des Golfes von Neapel und der angrenzenden Meeres-abschnitte. Fauna und Flora des Golfes von Neapel. Monogr. 26. (Friedländer: Berlin.)

KYLIN, H. (1956). Die Gattungen der Rhodophyceen. (Gleerups: Lund.)

LUCAS, A.H.S. & PERRIN, F. (1947). The Seaweeds of South Australia. Part 2. The Red Seaweeds. (Govt Printer: Adelaide.)

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

MAY, V. (1965). A census and key to the species of Rhodophyceae (red algae) recorded from Australia. Contr. N.S. W. Natl Herb. 3, 349–429.

PAPENFUSS, G.F. (1942). Notes on algal nomenclature: I. Pollexfenia, Jeannerettia and Mesotrema. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 28, 446–451.

SCHMITZ, F. & FALKENBERG, P. (1897). Rhodomelaceae. In Engler, A. & Prantl, K., Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien. T.1. Abt. 2, pp. 421–480. (Englemann: Leipzig.)

SONDER, O.W. (1880). In Mueller, F., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. Supplementum ad volumen undecinum: Algae Australianae hactenus cognitae, pp. 1–42, 105–107. (Melbourne.)

TATE, R. (1882b). Additions to the flora of South Australia. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 5, 82–93.

TEPPER, J.G.O. (1883). Botanical notes relating to South Australia. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 6, 65–67.

TISDALL, H.T. (1898). The algae of Victoria. Rep. 7th Meet. Aust. Ass. Adv. Sci., Sydney, 1898, pp. 493–516.

WILSON, J.B. (1892). Catalogue of algae collected at or near Port Phillip Heads and Western Port. Proc. R. Soc. Viet. 4, 157–190.

ZANARDINI, J. (1874). Phyceae Australicae novae vel minus cognitae. Flora 57, 486–490, 497–505.

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.


Illustration in Womersley Part IIIA, 2003: FIG. 155.

Figure 155 image

Figure 155   enlarge

Fig. 155. Pollexfenia crispata (AD, A36013). A. Habit, on Amphibolis stem. B. Growing margin of thallus. C. Thallus margin with papillae and trichoblasts. D. Cystocarps. E. Spermatangial organs on marginal papillae. F. Stichidia on margin of thallus.


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