Boodlea G.Murray & De Toni, 1889

Holotype species: Boodlea coacta (Dickie) G.Murray & De Toni

Original publication and holotype designation: Murray, G. (1889). On Boodlea, a new genus of Siphonocladaceae. Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 25: 243-245, pl. 49.

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Description: Thalli composed of branched, septate, filiform cells forming three-dimensional, reticulate masses; to 30 cm deep and many meters wide. Apical orientation well-defined in juvenile plants, changing to more diffuse growth and loss of well defined axes with development. Plants astipitate. Annular constrictions absent. Branching opposite, regular, in two or three ranks from multiple axes. Siphons 50-125 µm diameter. Well developed rhizoid prominent in juvenile plants, less so in mature, thalli. Structural reinforcement of reticulum achieved by minute, determinate tenacular cells cut off from tips of lateral branches and forming adhesions with adjacent siphons. Cell division by centripetal invagination; less commonly by segregative division. Cells multinucleate; chloroplasts multiple per cell and discoid with single pyrenoid surrounded with starch sheath and with one to several traversing thylakoids. The life history of Boodlea is poorly understood. A biphasic, isomorphic alternation of generations is presumed but has not been documented. Haploid and diploid chromosome counts of 12 and 22-25 reported for B. composita and B. struveoides. Nuclear DNA estimated at 3.8 pg (2C) for B. composita. Boodlea is widespread throughout the tropics and is mentioned in most literature on tropical algae. On some Indo-West Pacific reef-flats it can be seasonally dominant forming loose mats several cm deep. Habit is strongly plastic and strongly affected by local environmental conditions. Species of Boodlea poorly defined. Characters are limited to cell diameter and overall bushiness of habit. Boodlea can be confused with certain species of Microdictyon and Struvea, particularly if plants are small and fragmentary. The latter two genera are distinguished, however, based on their respective types of tenacular cells and complanate habit. Immunological distance data and character compatibility analysis suggest that Struvea is the sister taxon to Boodlea.

Information contributed by: J.L. Olsen. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2012-11-11 by M.D. Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

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Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in CD format. These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above. The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.

Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.

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Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 11 November 2012. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 21 November 2024