Solieria jaasundii, a new species of red algae (Gigartinales, Solieriaceae) from Tanzania
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Date
1981
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Solieria jaasundii, a New Species of Red Algae (Gigartinales, Solieriaceae) from Tanzania
Abstract
An anatomical study of a marine red alga from Tanzania, which was previously identified as Rhabdonia Africana Jaasund, has shown the alga to be a new species of Solieria. Its thallus has a segmented construction, with regular constrictions along the axes, and its branches arise mainly at the constrictions. Internally the thallus shows a central, loosely-packed mass of medullary filaments, which are joined to one another by interconnecting strands like those known to occur in some members of the Solieriaceae, e. g., Solieria robusta. External to the medulla is a cortex composed of cells that are shorter but wider in diameter. The cortical cells progressively decrease in size outwardly. Stellate cells whose arms serve as interconnecting points between the cortex and the medulla are common. Thecortical cells contain numerous coiled, ribbon-like structures similar to those in Rhabdonia verticillata (Min-Theinand Womersley 1976). These are interpreted as chromatophores. The anatomy of the central part of the medulla and of the thallus apices shows the plant to be multiaxial in construction. A discussion of the findings is presented, and a new name for the alga, Solieria jaasundii sp. nov., is proposed
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Tanzania, Red algae
Citation
Mshigeni, K.E. and Papenfuss, G.F., 1981. Solieria jaasundii, a new species of red algae (Gigartinales, Solieriaceae) from Tanzania. Botanica Marina, 24(1), pp.1-8.