Pseudochlorodesmis Børgesen, 1925

Holotype species: Pseudochlorodesmis furcellata (Zanardini) Børgesen

Original publication and holotype designation: Børgesen, F. (1925). Marine algae from the Canary Islands especially Teneriffe and Gran Canaria. I. Chlorophyceae. Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, Biologiske Meddelelser 5(3): 1-123, 49 figs.

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Description: Thallus usually develops as a felt-like mat composed of unbranched to sparingly dichotomously or subdichotomously branched siphons less than 4 cm long. Anchorage is by an irregularly constricted prostrate base which may form a series of bead-like units often embedded in hard substrata such as coral or coralline algae. Reproduction has not been observed, but stalked, grape-like clusters of zooidangia arising at irregular intervals along the lower halves of siphons have been reported for specimens morphologically similar to P. furcellata from Lord Howe Island.

Information contributed by: G.T. Kraft. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2022-02-28 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: Cremen, C.M., Leliaert, F., West, J.[A.], Lam, D.W., Shimada, S. Lopez-Bautista, J.M. & Verbruggen, H. (2019). Reassessment of the classification of Bryopsidales (Chlorophyta) based on chloroplast phylogenomic analyses. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 130: 397-405, 2 figs.

Comments: Pseudochlorodesmis differs from Chlorodesmis in having slenderer siphons (25-100 µm diam.) which lack pronounced constrictions above dichotomies of erect portions, in not having stalks, and in not growing in caespitose clumps from a consolidated base. Given the differences in zooidangia reported for Chlorodesmis, and the probability that more than one genus is represented by members currently associated with it, it seems likely that Pseudochlorodesmis will be split or redefined as reproduction is documented. The zooidangia observed in the Lord Howe material show greater similarity to those of Chlorodesmis baculifera in which fertile structures are lateral outgrowths of the siphons, than to those of Chlorodesmis major in which tips of normal siphons differentiate into zooidangia. The taxon Geppella decussata from Pacific Mexico does not have features associated with Geppella, and at least provisionally should be included in Pseudochlorodesmis.

Geographic distribution of Pseudochlorodesmis is in tropical to warm temperate waters; it is known from Canary Islands, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, southern Australia, and western and central Pacific Ocean.

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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=33700

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 28 February 2022. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 28 March 2024

 
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