Sphacella Reinke, 1890

Holotype species: Sphacella subtilissima Reinke

Original publication and holotype designation: Reinke, J. (1890). Übersicht der bisher bekannten Sphacelariaceen. Berichte der Deutsche Botanischen Gesellschaft 8: 201-215, 2 figs.

Precise date of publication: 22 Aug 1890

Description: Plants forming small (about 1 cm tall), dense, dark reddish brown, subglobose tufts on larger Phaeophyceae (Sporochnales); heterotrichous. Basal parts with intricate, irregular filaments forming irregular, multicellular, endophytic structures in the host. Erect filaments terete, articulate, isodiametric, bushy, unbranched or with few to many divaricate, irregularly placed, unbranched laterals. Segments cut off from the short or elongate cylindrical apical cell of the erect filaments transversely dividing once or not after separation. No longitudinal segmentation observed in these segments. Hairs or rhizoids not observed. Chloroplasts without pyrenoids, parietal, small and lenticular, several in each cell. Reproductive structures: Only ovoid unilocular zoidangia observed. Mediterranean coasts of Spain and Italy, Canary Islands, South Australia, probably confined to the deeper sublittoral. In Europe endophytic in Carpomitra costata and Sporochnus pedicellatus; in Australia endophytic in Bellotia eriphorum. The life history is incompletely known.

Information contributed by: Prud'homme van Reine. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2024-01-19 by M.D. Guiry.

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

Gender: This genus name is currently treated as feminine.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Prud'homme van Reine, W.F. (1982). A taxonomic revision of the European Sphacelariaceae (Sphacelariales, Phaeophyceae). Leiden Botanical Series 6: [i-x], 1-293, 660 figs, XXI tables, 6 pls.

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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.

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=38592

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 19 January 2024. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 22 November 2024