Morphological and taxonomy of Bostrychia and Stictosiphonia (Rhodomelaceae/Rhodophyta)

Abstract

The genus Bostrychia Montagne s.l. is reassessed. Two genera are recognised. Bostrychia and Stictosiphonia J.D. Hooker et Harvey, differing from eachother by the number of tiers of pericentral cells per axial cell, the mode of cortication and the number of indeterminate axes. These genera are described and keys are provided to all species. Bostrychia consists of 11 species. One of which, B. tenussima R.J. King et Puttock, sp. nov., is newly described from New Zealand and temperate Australia. Detailed descriptions are given for the other six species, B. harveyi, B. moritziana, B. pinnata, B. radicans, B. simpliciuscula and B. tenella, that occur in the Australasian region. Taxonomic notes are provided for the type of species. B. scorpiodes, which is restricted to western Europe, and three lesser known species, B. callipters, B. montahnei and B. pilulifers, from the Central and South American regions. Stictosiphonia is resurrected and emended. This genus consists of six species, two of which have tropical distributions, S. kelanensis (Grunow ex Post) R.J. King et Puttock, comb. nov. (southern and eastern Asia and northern Australia) and S. tangatensis (Post) R.J. King et Puttock, comb. nov. (eastern Africa and northern Australia). The remaining four species, S. hookeri, S. vaga, S. arbuscula (J. D. Hooker et Harvey) R.J. King et Puttock, comb. nov. and S. gracilis R.J. King et Puttock, sp. nov., have a southern Australian, New Zealand or subAntarctic distribution.