Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Australian Systematic Botany Australian Systematic Botany Society
Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of plants
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Diversity and systematics of Ptilophora (Gelidiaceae, Rhodophyta)

E. Tronchin A B D , J. J. Bolton A and R. J. Anderson C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Botany, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.

B Research Group Phycology, University of Ghent, 281 / S8 Krijgslaan, Ghent 9000, Belgium.

C Seaweed Research Unit, Marine and Coastal Management, Private Bag X2, Roggebaai 8012 South Africa.

D Corresponding author. Email: tronchin@uctgsh1.uct.ac.za

Australian Systematic Botany 19(4) 359-386 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB05034
Submitted: 21 October 2005  Accepted: 9 May 2006   Published: 25 August 2006

Abstract

Ptilophora Kützing (Rhodophyta) is an algal genus containing 16 species that are predominantly temperate and known mostly from deep subtidal habitats. The genus generally has an Indian Ocean distribution, although two species are found in the north-west Pacific, two in the south-west Pacific, and one in the Mediterranean. Observation of type specimens, specimens from type localities and a thorough review of literature on this genus was carried out to create a comprehensive review of Ptilophora and provide further insight into some poorly understood species. A key to the species in this genus and a distribution map are included, as well as a description and photographic plate of each species. The type species Ptilophora spissa (Suhr) Kützing, only collected once in history, is placed in synonymy with P. diversifolia (Suhr) Papenfuss, having been found to be an aberrant morphology of the latter species. An epitype is designated for P. diversifolia since the lectotype (a figure) cannot be used for detailed studies. Ptilophora beckeri Holmes is reassessed and confirmed to be an unusual reproductive morphotype of P. pinnatifida J. Agardh. Similarly, Phyllophora aegei Giaccone is reassessed and confirmed to be a synonym of Ptilophora mediterranea (H. Huvé) R.E. Norris. The cystocarpic phase of P. rumpii (Dickinson) R.E. Norris and the male phase of P. pterocladioides Andriamampandry are reported here for the first time, and for P. helenae (Dickinson) R.E. Norris and P. leliaertii Tronchin et De Clerck new data on their distributions are added.


Acknowledgments

Special thanks go to D.W. Freshwater (UNCW) for his mentorship; O. De Clerck, T. Schils, F. Leliaert, H. Verbruggen, H. Engeldow and E. Coppejans of the Research Group Phycology (GENT) for their assistance with facilities and taxonomic expertise; G. Kraft (MELU), J. Bryant (BM), S. Riebe (LD) and T. Trinder-Smith (BOL) for their assistance with herbarium collections and type specimens. This research has been funded by the National Research Foundation, Department of Environment and Tourism, South African Network of Coastal and Oceanographic Research (South Africa) and the Community of Flanders (Belgium).


References


Adams NM (1994) ‘Seaweeds of New Zealand’. (Canterbury University Press: Christchurch)

Agardh JG (1876) ‘Species genera et ordines algarum… Volumen tertium: de Florideis curae posteriores. Part 1.’(Lipsiae [Leipzig])

Agardh JG (1885) Till algernes systematik. Nya bidrag (Fjerde afdelningen). Lunds universitets årsskrift, afdeliningen för mathematik och naturvetenskap 21, 1–117. open url image1

Akatsuka I (1987) Taxonomy and distribution of Beckerella (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta). Aquatic Botany 28, 257–274.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Akatsuka I, Masaki T (1983) Beckerella irregularis sp. nov. (Gelidiales, Gelidiaceae) from Japan. Bulletin of the Faculty of Fisheries Hokkaido University 34, 11–19. open url image1

Andriamampandry AV (1976) ‘Recherches sur quelques Rhodophycées á phycocolloïdes de l’Océan Indien occidental.’ (Université de Paris, thése de 3éme cycle: Paris)

Andriamampandry AV (1988) Beckerella pterocladioides sp. nov. et Gelidium madagascariense sp. nov. deux espèces de Gelidiales—Rhodophycées de Fort-Dauphin (Madagascar). Cryptogamie. Algologie 9, 243–259. open url image1

Athanasiadis A (1987) ‘A survey of the seaweeds of the Aegean Sea with taxonomic studies on species of the tribe Antithamnieae (Rhodophyta).’ (Kungälv: University of Gothenburg)

Bailey JC, Freshwater DW (1997) Molecular systematics of the Gelidiales: inferences from separate and combined analyses of plastid rbcL and nuclear SSU gene sequences. European Journal of Phycology 32, 343–352. open url image1

Barreto M, Straker CJ, Critchley AT (1997) Short note on the effects of ethanolic extracts of selected South African seaweeds on growth of commercially important plant pathogens, Rhizoctonia solani Kuehn and Verticillium sp. South African Journal of Botany 63, 521–523. open url image1

Børgesen F (1943) Some marine algae from Mauritius. III. Rhodophyceae. Part 2. Gelidiales, Cryptonemiales, Gigartinales. Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab Biologiske Meddelelser 19, 1–85. open url image1

Cabioc’h J Floc’h J , Le Toquin A , Boudouresque C , Meinesz A , Verlaque M (1992) ‘Guide des algues des mers d’Europe.’ (Delachaux et Niestlé: Lausanne)

De Toni GB (1897) ‘Sylloge algarum... Vol. IV. Florideae. Sectio I.’ (Patavii [Padova])

Dickinson CI (1950) Two new species of Gelidium from Natal. Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1949, 565–567. open url image1

Drège JF (1843) Zwei pflanzengeographische Documente. Besondere Beigabe zur Flora 26, 157– . open url image1

Fan K (1961) Morphological studies of the Gelidiales. University of California Publications in Botany 32, 315–368. open url image1

Farghaly MS (1980) ‘Algues benthiques de la Mer Rouge et du bassin occidental de l’Océan Indien (étude taxinomique et essai de répartition, notamment des Udotéacées)’. PhD Thesis, Université des Sciences et Techniques du Langedoc, Montpellier.

Freshwater DW, Bailey JC (1998) A multigene phylogeny of the Gelidiales including nuclear large-subunit rRNA sequence data. Journal of Applied Phycology 10, 229–236.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Freshwater DW, Fredericq S, Hommersand MH (1995) A molecular phylogeny of the Gelidiales (Rhodophyta) based on analysis of plastid rbcL nucleotide sequences. Journal of Phycology 31, 616–632.
Crossref |
open url image1

Giaccone G (1968) Specie nuove e interessanti di rhodophyceae raccolte nel bacino orientale del Mediterraneo. Giornale Botanico Italiano 102, 397–414. open url image1

Greuter W , McNeill J , Barrie FR , Burdet HM , Demoulin V , Filgueiras TS , Nicolson DH , Silva PC , Skog JE , Trehane P , Turland NJ , Hawksworth DL (2000) ‘International code of botanical nomenclature (St Louis Code). Regnum Vegetabile 138.’ (Koeltz Scientific Books: Königstein)

Gunn M , Codd LE (1981) ‘Botanical exploration of Southern Africa.’ (A.A. Balkema: Cape Town)

Harvey WH (1862) ‘Phycologia australica... Vol. 4.’ (London)

Hauck F (1886) Über einige von J.M. Hildebrandt im Rothen Meere und Indischen Ocean gesammelte Algen. Hedwigia 25, 217–221. open url image1

Holmes EM (1896) New marine algae. Journal of Botany 34, 349–351. open url image1

Hommersand MH (1986) The biogeography of the South African marine red algae: a model. Botanica Marina 29, 257–270. open url image1

Hommersand MH , Fredericq S (2003) Biogeography of the marine red algae of the South African West Coast: a molecular approach. In ‘ Proceedings of the 17th international seaweed symposium, Cape Town, 2001’. (Eds ARO Chapman, RJ Anderson, VJ Vreeland, IR Davison) pp. 325–336. (Oxford University Press: Oxford)

Huisman M (2000) ‘Marine plants of Australia.’ (University of Western Australia Press: Perth)

Huvé H (1962) Une nouvelle Gélidiacée du genre Beckerella Kylin en Méditerranée orientale: Beckerella mediterranea nov. sp. Revue Générale de Botanique 69, 32–52. open url image1

Isaac WE (1971) Marine botany of the Kenya coast 5. A third list of Kenya marine algae. Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society and National Museum 28, 1–23. open url image1

Kraft GT (1976) The morphology of Beckerella scalaramosa, a new species of Gelidiales (Rhodophyta) from the Philippines. Phycologia 15, 85–91. open url image1

Kraft GT, Liao LM, Millar AJK, Coppejans EGG, Hommersand MH, Freshwater DW (1999) Marine benthic red algae (Rhodophyta) from Bulusan, Sorsogon Province, Southern Luzon, Philippines. The Philippine Scientist 36, 1–50. open url image1

Kützing FT (1847) Diagnosen und Bemerkungen zu neuen oder kritishen Algen (Fortzetzung). Botanische Zeitung 5, 22–25. open url image1

Kützing FT (1869) ‘Tabulae phycologicae... Vol. 19.’ (Nordhausen)

Kylin H (1956) ‘Die gattungen der Rhodophyceen.’ (Gleerups Förlag: Lund)

Lawson GW (1980) ‘A check-list of east African seaweeds (Djibouti to Tanzania).’ (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lagos: Lagos)

May V (1944) Studies on Australian marine algae. I. The corrected name for Pterocladia pectinata (A. & E.S. Gepp) Lucas. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 69, 226–228. open url image1

Millar AJK (1990) Marine red algae of the Coffs Harbour region, northern New South Wales. Australian Systematic Botany 3, 293–593.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Millar AJK, Freshwater DW (2005) Morphology and molecular phylogeny of the marine algal order Gelidiales (Rhodophyta) from New South Wales, including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. Australian Systematic Botany 18, 215–263.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Moorjani SA (1976) ‘The ecology of marine algae of the Kenya coast.’ PhD Thesis, University of Nairobi.

Murase N, Maegawa M, Kida W (1989) Photosynthetic characteristics of several species of Rhodophyceae from different depths in the coastal area of Shima peninsula Central Japan. Japanese Journal of Phycology 37, 213–220. open url image1

Nelson WA, Farr TJ, Broom JES (2005) Phylogenetic diversity of New Zealand Gelidiales as revealed by rbcL sequence data. Journal of Applied Phycology 18,  – . open url image1

Norris RE (1987) A re-evaluation of Ptilophora Kützing and Beckerella Kylin (Gelidiales, Rhodophyceae) with a review of South African species. Botanica Marina 30, 243–258. open url image1

Norris RE (1990) Ptilophora hildebrandtii (Hauck) comb. nov. (Gelidiales, Rhodophyceae), its range extended to South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 56, 133–135. open url image1

Norris RE (1992) The marine red algae of Natal: South Africa: Order Gelidiales (Rhodophyta). Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa 61, 1–43. open url image1

Okamura K (1909) ‘Icones of Japanese algae. Vol. 1.’ (Tokyo)

Oliveira EC , Österlund K , Mtolera MSP (2005) ‘Marine plants of Tanzania, a field guide to the seaweeds and seagrasses.’ (Botany Department, University of Stockholm: Sweden)

Papenfuss GF (1940) Notes on South African marine algae. I. Botaniska Notiser 1940, 200–226. open url image1

Phillips JA (1997) Algae. In ‘Queensland plants: names and distributions’. (Ed. RJF Henderson). pp. 223–224. (Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment: Brisbane)

Schmitz F (1894) Neue japanische Florideen von K. Okamura. Hedwigia 33, 190–201. open url image1

Schmitz F , Hauptfleisch P (1897) Gelidiaceae. In ‘Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien. I Theil, Abteilung 2’ (Eds A Engler, K Prantl) pp. 340–349. (Leipzig)

Silva PC, Basson PW, Moe RL (1996) Catalogue of the benthic marine algae of the Indian Ocean. University of California Publications in Botany 79, 1–1259. open url image1

Suhr JN (1840) Beiträge zur Algenkunde. Flora 23, 257–272. open url image1

Tronchin EM, Freshwater DW, Bolton JJ, Anderson RJ (2002) A reassessment and reclassification of species in the genera Onikusa Akatsuka and Suhria J. Agardh ex Endlicher (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta) based on molecular and morphological data. Botanica Marina 45, 548–558.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Tronchin EM, Freshwater DW, Bolton JJ (2003) A re-evaluation of the genera Beckerella and Ptilophora (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta) based on molecular and morphological data. Phycologia 42, 80–89. open url image1

Tronchin EM, De Clerck O, Freshwater DW, Bolton JJ, Anderson RJ (2004) Ptilophora leliaertii and Ptilophora coppejansii, two new species of Gelidiales (Rhodophyta) from South Africa. European Journal of Phycology 39, 395–410.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Tronchin E, Samaai T, Anderson RJ, Bolton JJ (2006) Sponge-seaweed associations in species of Ptilophora (Gelidiaceae, Rhodophyta). Phycological Research 54, 155–163.
Crossref |
open url image1

Trono GC Jr (1997) ‘Field guide and atlas of the seaweed resources of the Philippines.’ (Bookmark Inc.: Makati City, Philippines)

Womersley HBS , Guiry MD (1994) Order Gelidiales. In ‘The marine benthic flora of southern Australia—Part IIIA’. (Ed. HBS Womersley). pp. 118–142. (Australian Biological Resource Study: Canberra)