Hormosira (Endlichter) Meneghini, 1838, nom. cons.

Holotype species: Hormosira moniliformis Meneghini

Currently accepted name for the type species: Hormosira banksii (Turner) Decaisne

Original publication and holotype designation: Meneghini, G. (1838). Cenni sulla organographia e fisiologia delle alghe. Nuovi Saggi della [Cesarea] Regia Accademia di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti di Padova 4: 325-388.

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Description: Thallus to 20 (-30) cm long, consisting of branched chains of subspherical to elongate, bead-like segements. Small discoid holdfast. Growth from an apical meristem consisting of 4 apical cells and surrounding meristematic tissue. Thallus is parenchymatous and differentiated into a meristoderm of relatively small cells with numerous chloroplasts and physodes, a cortex of larger, vacuolate cells and a filamentous medulla surrounding a fluid or air-filled central space. Discoid chloroplasts lack pyrenoids. Life history is diplontic. Sexual reproduction is oogamous. Individuals are dioecious with conceptacles containing paraphyses (phaeophycean hairs) and antheridia or oogonia scattered over the thallus. Antheridia produce 64 spermatozoids, 7-15 µm in length. Spermatozoids are heterokont, possess an eyespot and are negatively phototactic. The anterior flagellum is 6.5 µm long and bears a blunt spine 2 µm back from the tip. The posterior flagellum is relatively long, 13 µm. Oogonia produce 4 eggs, 60-65 µm diameter and 4 sterile vestigial cells. Eggs secrete the sperm attractant, hormosirene.

Information contributed by: M.N. Clayton. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2015-10-19 by M.D. Guiry.

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

Comments: Hormosira is endemic to the temperate regions of Australia and New Zealand.

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=42605

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 19 October 2015. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 22 November 2024