Haliptilon roseum (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) in Southern Australia

Abstract

In spite of the large number of specific names attributable to Haliptilon, based on specimens collected in southern Australia in the 1800s, only one species, Haliptilon roseurn (Lamarck) Garbary & Johansen, can be recognised. This species is both common on rocks and epiphytic on a variety of marine plants. H. roseurn is unique in the genus in that the fronds often produce determinate adventitious branchlets from axial intergenicula already bearing distichous branchlets. It is a morphologically variable species, depending largely on its habitat. Vegetative and reproductive characters show that Haliptilon is closely related to Jania, and more remote from Corallina. Haliptilon roseum may superficially resemble Corallina officinalis but characters of intergenicular anatomy (especially medullary tiers), branching and size allow it to be readily distinguished.