Schmitzia P.C.Silva, 1959
Holotype species: Schmitzia neapolitana (Berthold) P.C.Silva
Original publication and holotype designation: Silva, P.C. (1959). Remarks on algal nomenclature. II. Taxon 8: 60-64.
Request PDFDescription: Plants can reach over 60 cm in length and are erect from a discoid holdfast and are terete to flattened, and irregularly radially to distichously branched. Cells of the central axial filaments each bear 3 periaxial cells, although some species bear whorls of 4-5 (Maggs and Guiry, 1985) or 3-4 (Hawkes, 1982) cortical fascicles. Spermatangia form in pairs or clusters on surface cortical cells. Suporting cells are monocarpogonial, bearing 3-celled carpogonial branches. Carpogonia fuse with supporting cells following fertilization and issue up to 3 septate connecting filaments initially, later up to 10 following incorporation of additional cells into the carpogonial fusion cell. Connecting filaments give rise to dense globular clusters of carposporangia at swollen points along their length that cut off a single gonimoblast initial. Carpospores germinate to form crusts that either give rise to gametophytes directly (Hawkes, 1986) or to obliquely cruciate to irregularly zonate tetrasporangia (Maggs and Guiry, 1985).
Information contributed by: G.T. Kraft. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2017-01-23 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: Schneider, C.W. & Wynne, M.J. (2007). A synoptic review of the classification of red algal genera a half a century after Kylin's "Die Gattungen der Rhodophyceen". Botanica Marina 50: 197-249.
Comments: Distribution: Atlantic Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Japan, eastern and western Australia, and New Zealand. Most species occur in deep water, the gametophytes in addition being very seasonal and ephemeral.
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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera,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=102
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 23 January 2017. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 21 November 2024
