Bibliographic Detail

Abbott, I.A., 1998

Reference:
Abbott, I.A. (1998). Some new species and new combinations of marine red algae from the Central Pacific. Phycological Research 46: 97-109.

Abstract:
Six new species in five genera of Rhodophyta are described. A new combination for Polyopes hakalauensis is also proposed. These taxa were encountered while preparing a manual of marine red algae of the Hawaiian Islands. Among the Halymeniales, two blade-like species of Halymenia, H. cromwellii sp. nov. and H. stipitata sp. nov., are distinguished from other species by habit and anatomical differences, including the possession of a stipe by the second. Halymenia hakalauensis Tilden 1902 is transferred to Polyopes as P. hakalauensis (Tilden) Abbott, replacing P. hawaiiensis Kajimura which is considered a synonym. A new species of Prionitis, P. corymbifera sp. nov., shows a corymbose branching pattern different from the mostly pinnate to subdichotomous branching of Japanese and Californian species. In the Gigartinales, Chondracanthus okamurae Abbott is named for a specimen which Okamura included in his understanding of Gigartina (now Chondracanthus tenellus), but which has terete axes, differing from C. tenellus (Harvey) Hommersand which is complanate throughout. Chondracanthus intermedius (Suringar) Hommersand is placed in synonymy with C. tenellus. The occurrence of C. tenellus in Hawai'i is a new distribution record from Asia. Three new species are added to the Ceramiales, Ceramium tranquillum Meneses (Ceramiaceae), Dasya kristeniae sp. nov. and Dasya murrayana Abbott & Millar (Dasyaceae). Distinctive features of Ceramium tranquillum are internodes that are three to five times longer than the height of nodes, and nodes that never project beyond the diameter of the internodes, giving straight margins except when fertile. Dasya kristeniae is a diminutive epiphyte which is nearly ecorticate, with tetrasporangial stichidia that are rectangular having apices that are curved or nodding, and cystocarps that have flaring ostioles above a constricted pericarp. Dasya murrayana was earlier misidentified with Dasya iyengarii Børgesen, and re-examination of those plants show continuous cortication throughout, where cortication is almost completely lacking in D. iyengarii except near the base. Dasya murrayana has a tufted habit, with indeterminate branches about the same sizes as the main axes, the plants growing on rock, whereas plants of D. iyengarii are not tufted, with indeterminate branches attenuate, and an epiphytic habit.