Chiracanthia Falkenberg, 1897

Holotype species: Chiracanthia arborea (Harvey) Falkenberg

Original publication and holotype designation: Schmitz, F. & Falkenberg, P. (1897). Rhodomelaceae. In: Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien nebst ihren Gattungen und wichtigeren Arten insbesondere den Nutzpflanzen unter Mitwirkung zahlreicher hervorragender Fachgelehrten, Teil 1, Abteilung 2. (Engler, A. & Prantl, K. Eds), pp. 421-480. Leipzig: verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann.

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Description: Upright polysiphonous thalli from a discoid holdfast; up to 50 cm high, cylindrical and spirally branched, distally clothed with small spine-like polysiphonous branchlets emerging from all sides, but sometimes assuming more or less bilateral positions. 4 pericentral cells, pseudoparenchymatously corticated in several layers. Spiral arrangement of non-emergent trichoblasts evident in branch apices. Tetrasporangia and cystocarps borne on short branchlets; male reproduction unknown. Tetrasporangial stichidia with 1 sporangium per segment, sporangia in spiral series, greatly distorting segments. Procarps produced in a series on branchlets; cystocarps ovoid to spheroid, ostiolate, single on short to long stalks depending upon which procarp in the series matured in post-fertilization.

Information contributed by: R.E. Norris. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2010-10-06 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: Southern Australia, low intertidal to subtidal.

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=40578

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 06 October 2010. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 22 November 2024