Asteromenia Huisman & A.J.K.Millar, 1996
Holotype species: Asteromenia peltata (W.R.Taylor) Huisman & A.J.K.Millar
Original publication and holotype designation: Huisman, J.M. & Millar, A.J.K. (1996). Asteromenia (Rhodymeniaceae, Rhodymeniales), a new red algal genus based on Fauchea peltata. Journal of Phycology 32: 138-145, 17 figs, 1 table.
Request PDFPrecise date of publication: 23 Feb 1996
Description: Thallus stipitate with peltate blades. Blades circular when young, stellate with ligulate lobes when mature. Regularly anastomosing with blades of other thalli or reattaching to the substratum, gregarious. Structure multiaxial, cortex of 3-4 layers of small cells, medulla of several layers of large colorless cells. Spermatangia formed from surface cells on both surfaces of the blades. Procarpic, carpogonial branches 4-celled; auxiliary cells branches 2-celled gonimoblast developing outwards. Cystocarps ostiolate, often with an elongated neck, scattered, never coronate, strongly protruding outwards, tela arachnoidea absent. Tetrasporangia formed from intercalary cortical cells mostly on the ventral surface of the blades, scattered or aggregated into clusters. Spores regularly cruciately arranged.
Information contributed by: M.D. Guiry. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2017-01-24 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: Le Gall, L., Dalen, J.L. & Saunders, G.W. (2008). Phylogenetic analyses of the red algal order Rhodymeniales supports recognition of the Hymenocladiaceae fam. nov., Fryeellaceae fam. nov., and Neogastroclonium gen. nov. Journal of Phycology 44: 1556-1571.
Comments: A. peltata, originally described as Fauchea peltata W.R. Taylor (1942) from Venezuela, was first referred to Halichrysis by Huvé & Huvé (1977), then to Weberella by Schneider (1975), before being referred to a new genus, Asteromenia, on the basis of a unique combination of morphological and reproductive features. Asteromenia is one of a number of peltate Rhodymeniacean genera, that include Weberella, Sciadophycus, and Maripelta and for which Huisman & Millar (1996) have compared features of structure and reproduction. As they vary in fundamental features such as number of cells in the carpogonial branch (3 vs 4), the position of formation of the tetrasporangia (terminal vs intercalary), and in the presence or absence of a tela arachnoidea, it is likely that a peltate habit evolved independently in each. Asteromenia peltata is known from widely separated localities in the warmer waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean. The report from the Canary Islands (Haroun et al., 1993) requires verification.
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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=40117
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 24 January 2017. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 22 November 2024
