Leachiella Kugrens, 1982

Holotype species: Leachiella pacifica Kugrens

Original publication and holotype designation: Kugrens, P. (1982). Leachiella pacifica, gen. et sp. nov., a new parasitic red alga from Washington and California. American Journal of Botany 69: 306-319.

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Description: Plants form unbranched pustules on species of Polysiphonia and Pterosiphonia. All reproductive structures develop from outer cortical cells. Carpogonial branches are 6-celled, with a sterile cell borne on the basal cell. The supporting cell cuts off an auxiliary cell, presumably prior to fertilization, and fuses to both the auxiliary cell and carpogonium to form a fusion cell. Carposporophytes consist of a conspicuous basal fusion cell that has incorporated numerous adjacent vegetative cells, and a hemispherical cluster of gonimoblast filaments bearing terminal carposporangia. Spermatangia are formed continuously by oblique cleavages of elongate surface mother cells. Tetrasporangia are tetrahedral and borne on stalk cells.

Information contributed by: G.T. Kraft. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2019-05-10 by M.D. Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Salomoaki, E.D. & Lane, C.E. (2019). Molecular phylogenetics supports a clad of red algal parasites retaining native plastids: taxonomy and terminology revised. Journal of Phycology 55(2): 279-288, 3 figs, 2 tables.

Comments: The genus was allied to but not formally placed in the Choreocolacaceae by Kugrens. It differs from other members of the family and the Gigartinales in the position of the auxiliary cell and the division pattern of the tetrasporangia. Distribution: Endemic to the eastern Pacific from Washington to California.

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=41497

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 10 May 2019. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 23 November 2024