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

The genus Lithophyllum (Lithophylloideae, Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) in south-eastern Australia, with the description of L. riosmenae, sp. nov.

A. S. Harvey A C , Wm J. Woelkerling A and A. J. K. Millar B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Botany, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic. 3083, Australia.

B Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: a.harvey@latrobe.edu.au

Australian Systematic Botany 22(4) 296-317 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB08051
Submitted: 4 December 2008  Accepted: 9 June 2009   Published: 31 August 2009

Abstract

The genus Lithophyllum (Lithophylloideae, Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) is represented by six species in south-eastern Australia L. chamberlainianum Woelkerling & Campbell, L. corallinae (Crouan & Crouan) Heydrich, L. cuneatum Keats, L. pustulatum (Lamouroux) Foslie, L. riosmenae, sp. nov., and L. stictaeforme (Areschoug in Agardh) Hauck. Four of these taxa are commonly found in Australia, whereas L. cuneatum was previously known only from Fiji and L. riosmenae is newly described. Morphological and anatomical accounts are provided, including keys, information on distribution, nomenclature and habitat in south-eastern Australia. South-eastern Australian species are primarily delimited on characters relating to tetrasporangial conceptacles and the presence/absence of a semi-endophytic habit. Ten species of Lithophyllum are now confirmed to occur in Australia and their diagnostic characters are detailed. Confirmed Australian species of Lithophyllum are primarily delimited on characters relating to tetrasporangial conceptacles, the presence/absence of a semi-endophytic habit and the growth-form. Biogeographic comparisons between south-eastern Australia and other Australian biogeographic regions are also made. Eight species of Lithophyllum are known to occur in southern Australia, three in tropical eastern Australia and three in subtropical western Australia. Southern and south-eastern Australia show major overlap, with five species occurring in both regions. L. pustulatum and L. stictaeformae are widely distributed, having been confirmed to occur in eastern tropical, western subtropical, warm temperate and cold temperate waters within Australia.


Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks are due to Sascha Brand, Petra Ringeltaube, Robert Harvey and Andrea Schmitt for their help with field collecting in Queensland, and to Chris O’Brien, David Hardin and Nick Yee who assisted in collecting specimens from NSW. Peter Wilson provided the Latin diagnosis for Lithophyllum riosmenae. Financial support was provided to the first author by the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS). Financial support provided by the Australian Research Council to the second author is also gratefully acknowledged.


References


Athanasiadis A (1999) The taxonomic status of Lithophyllum stictaeforme (Rhodophyta, Corallinales) and its generic position in light of phylogenetic considerations. Nordic Journal of Botany 19, 735–745.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bailey JC (1999) Phylogenetic positions of Lithophyllum incrustans and Titanoderma pustulatum (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) based on 18S rRNA gene sequence analyses, with a revised classification of the Lithophylloideae. Phycologia 38, 208–216. open url image1

Barry GC, Woelkerling WJ (1995) Non-geniculate species of Corallinaceae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in Shark Bay, Western Australia: biodiversity, salinity tolerances and biogeographic affinities. Botanica Marina 38, 135–149. open url image1

Bressan G, Babbini L (2003) Corallinales del Mar Mediterraneo: guida alla determinazione. Biologia Marina Mediterranea 10, 1–237. open url image1

Chamberlain YM (1991) Historical and taxonomic studies in the genus Titanoderma (Rhodophyta, Corallinales) in the British Isles. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Botany) 21, 1–80. open url image1

Chamberlain YM (1996) Lithophylloid corallinaceae (Rhodophyta) of the genera Lithophyllum and Titanoderma from southern Africa. Phycologia 35, 204–221. open url image1

Chamberlain YM (1997) Observations on Lithophyllum lichenoides Philippi (Rhodophyta, Corallinaceae) and its reproductive structures. Cryptogamie. Algologie 18, 139–149. open url image1

Chamberlain YM , Irvine LM (1994) Lithophylloideae Setchell. In ‘Seaweeds of the British Isles. Vol. 1. Rhodophyta. Part 2B. Corallinales, Hildenbrandiales’. (Eds LM Irvine, YM Chamberlain) pp. 58–112. (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office: London)

Chamberlain YM, Norris RE (1994) Pneophyllum amplexifrons (Harvey) comb. nov., a mastophoroid crustose coralline red algal epiphyte from Natal, South Africa. Phycologia 33, 8–18. open url image1

Cribb AB (1983) ‘Marine algae of the southern Great Barrier Reef – Part I: Rhodophyta.’ (Australian Coral Reef Society: Brisbane)

Cribb AB (1996) ‘Seaweeds of Queensland: a naturalist’s guide.’ (The Queensland Naturalists’ Club Inc.: Brisbane)

Fragoso D, Rodríguez D (2002) Algas coralinas no geniculadas (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) en el Pacífico tropical Mexicano. Anals del Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Serie Botánica 73, 97–136. open url image1

Frederiksen S, Sørlie AS, Kjøsterud A (1995) Titanoderma pustulatum (Lamouroux) Nägeli and Lithophyllum crouanii Foslie (Corallinales, Rhodophyta): two common epiphytes on Laminaria Hyperborea (Gunnerus) Foslie stipes in Norway. Sarsia 80, 41–46. open url image1

Furnari G, Cormaci M, Alongi G (1996) Lithophyllum frondosum (Dufour) comb. nov. (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta): the species to which Mediterranean ‘Pseudolithophyllum expansum’ should be referred. European Journal of Phycology 31, 117–122.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Harvey AS, Woelkerling WJ, Millar AJK (2002) The Sporolithaceae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in south-eastern Australia: taxonomy and 18S rRNA phylogeny. Phycologia 41, 207–227. open url image1

Harvey AS, Broadwater ST, Woelkerling WJ, Mitovski PJ (2003a) Choreonema (Corallinales, Rhodophyta): 18S rRNA phylogeny and resurrection of the Hapalidiaceae for the subfamilies Choreonematoideae, Austrolithoideae and Melobesioideae. Journal of Phycology 39, 988–998.
CAS |
open url image1

Harvey AS, Woelkerling WJ, Millar AJK (2003b) An account of the Hapalidiaceae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in south-eastern Australia. Australian Systematic Botany 16, 647–698.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Harvey A , Woelkerling W , Farr T , Neill K , Nelson W (2005) Coralline algae of central New Zealand: an identification guide to common ‘crustose’ species. National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Information Series No. 57: Wellington, New Zealand

Harvey A, Phillips LE, Woelkerling W, Millar AJK (2006) The Corallinaceae, subfamily Mastophoroideae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in south-eastern Australia. Australian Systematic Botany 19, 387–429.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Harvey AS, Woelkerling WJ, Millar AJK (2009) The genus Amphiroa (Lithophylloideae, Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) from the temperate coasts of the Australian continent, including the newly described A. klochkovana. Phycologia 48, 258–290.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Holmgren PK , Holmgren NH (1998 (continuosly updated)) ‘Index herbariorum: a global directory of public herbaria and associated staff.’ (New York Botanical Garden’s Virtual Herbarium: New York)

Holmgren P , Holmgren NH , Bartlett LC (1990) ‘Index herbariorum, part 1. The herbaria of the World. 8.’ Regnum Vegetabile 120. (Koeltz Scientific Books: Königstein, Germany)

Huisman JA (1997) ‘Marine benthic algae of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia.’ (Western Australian Museum: Perth)

Irvine LM , Chamberlain YM (1994) ‘Seaweeds of the British Isles. V1. Rhodophyta. Part 2B. Corallinales, Hildenbrandiales.’ (Her Majesty’s Stationary Office: London)

Keats DW (1995) Lithophyllum cuneatum sp. nov. (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta), a new species of non-geniculate coralline alga semi-endophytic in Hydrolithon onkodes and Neogoniolithon sp. from Fiji, South Pacific. Phycological Research 43, 151–160.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Keats DW (1997) Lithophyllum insipidum Adey, Townsend et Boykins and L. flavescens sp. nov.: two flat lithophylloid coralline algae (Rhodophyta, Corallinaceae) abundant in shallow reef environments in Fiji. Phycologia 36, 351–365. open url image1

Lewis JA (1984) ‘Checklist and bibliography of benthic marine macroalgae recorded from northern Australia. I. Rhodophyta.’ (Materials research Laboratories, MRL-R-912: Melbourne)

Littler DS , Littler MM (2000) ‘Caribbean reef plants.’ (Offshore Graphics: Washington, DC)

Littler DS , Littler MM (2003) ‘South Pacific Reef plants.’ (OffShore Graphics: Washington, DC)

Maneveldt GW, Chamberlain YM, Keats DW (2008) A catalogue with keys to the non-geniculate coralline algae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) of South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 74, 555–566.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Mendoza-González AC, Mateo-Cid LE (1996) Nuevos registros de Choreonema thuretii en Oaxaca y Titanoderma pustulatum var. confine (Rhodophyta, Corallinaceae) en la costa Noroccidental de Baja California, Mexico. Polibotanica 1, 22–31. open url image1

Millar AJK (1999) Marine benthic algae of Norfolk Island, South Pacific. Australian Systematic Botany 12, 479–547.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Millar AJK (2007) The Flindersian and Peronian provinces. In ‘Algae of Australia: introduction’. (Eds PM McCarthy, AE Orchard) pp. 554–559. (ABRS: Canberra; CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Millar AJK, Kraft GT (1993) Catalogue of marine and freshwater red algae (Rhodophyta) of New South Wales, including Lord Howe Island, south-western Pacific. Australian Systematic Botany 6, 1–90.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

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

Phillips JA (2002) Algae. In ‘Names and distribution of Queensland plants’. (Ed. RJF Henderson) pp. 228–244. (Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency: Brisbane)

Ringeltaube P, Harvey A (2000) Non-geniculate coralline algae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) on Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef (Australia). Botanica Marina 43, 431–454.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Riosmena-Rodríguez R, Woelkerling W, Foster MS (1999) Taxonomic reassessment of rhodolith-forming species of Lithophyllum (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Phycologia 38, 401–417. open url image1

Verheij E (1994) Nongeniculate Corallinaceae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from the Spermonde Archipelago, SW Sulawesi, Indonesia. Blumea 39, 95–137. open url image1

Woelkerling WJ (1988) ‘The coralline red algae: an analysis of the genera and subfamilies of nongeniculate Corallinaceae.’ (British Museum (Natural History) and Oxford University Press: London and Oxford)

Woelkerling WJ (1996) Subfamily Lithophylloideae. In ‘The marine benthic flora of southern Australia – Part IIIB. Gracilariales, Rhodymeniales, Corallinales and Bonnemaisoniales’. (Ed. HBS Womersley) pp. 214–237. (Australian Biological Resources Study: Canberra)

Woelkerling WJ, Campbell SJ (1992) An account of southern Australian species of Lithophyllum (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta). Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Botany) 22, 1–107. open url image1

Woelkerling WJ, Chamberlain YM, Silva PC (1985) A taxonomic and nomenclatural reassessment of Tenarea, Titanoderma and Dermatolithon (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) based on studies of type and other critical specimens. Phycologia 24, 317–337. open url image1

Woelkerling WJ, Irvine LM, Harvey AS (1993) Growth-forms in non-geniculate coralline red algae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta). Australian Systematic Botany 6, 277–293.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Woelkerling WJ, Sartoni G, Boddi S (2002) Paulsilvella huveorum gen. & sp. nov. (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) from the Holocene of Somalia and Kenya, with a reassessment of Lithothrix antiqua from the Late Pleistocene of Mauritius. Phycologia 41, 358–373. open url image1

Womersley HBS (1990) Biogeography of Australasian marine macroalgae. In ‘Biology of marine plants’. (Eds MN Clayton, RJ King) pp. 367–381. (Longman Cheshire: Melbourne)