Melobesia patena Hooker f. & Harvey 1849

Current name: Synarthrophyton patena (Hooker f. & Harvey) R.A.Townsend
Olifantsbos, Cape Peninsula, South AfricaM.D. Guiry

Publication Details
Melobesia patena Hooker f. & Harvey 1849: 111, pl. 50 (bottom left group of 3 figs)

Published in: Harvey, W.H. (1849). Nereis australis, or algae of the southern ocean: being figures and descriptions of marine plants, collected on the shores of the Cape of Good Hope, the extra-tropical Australian colonies, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Antarctic regions; deposited in the Herbarium of the Dublin University. [Part 2]. pp. 65-124 [ends abruptly], pls XXVI-L. London: Reeve Brothers.

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Publication date: "before November 1849"

Type Species
The type species (holotype) of the genus Melobesia is Melobesia membranacea (Esper) J.V.Lamouroux.

Status of Name
This name is currently regarded as a synonym of Synarthrophyton patena (Hooker f. & Harvey) R.A.Townsend.

Source of Synonymy
Townsend, R.A. (1979). Synarthrophyton, a new genus of Corallinaceae (Cryptonemiales, Rhodophyta) from the southern hemisphere. Journal of Phycology 15: 251-259, 18 figs, 1 table.

Type Information
Type locality: Te Unuunu (near Castlepoint), east coast of North Island, New Zealand; (Womersley 1996: 209) Lectotype (Harvey 1849: pl. 40; designated by Athanasiadis 2019): Colenso no. 1331; TCD; (Athanasiadis 2018: 308) Notes: Designated by Chapman & Parkinson (1974, pl. 72). The type locality in included in the collecting notes of Colenso as "1330. Sea-green alga, with Lithophyta, (beautiful sp.) from Te Unuunu, nr Castlepoint, E.Coast 1331. Red alga, from ditto: (splendid specimen)" Te Unuunu is a coastal mountain south of Castlepoint; the nearest point on the coast is also known as either Te Unuunu or Flat Point (W. Nelson & A. Athansiadis, pers. comm.) on Ballia (INA). Hughey et al. (2022: 84) designate the Colenso No.1331 specimen (BM001043934) as the epitype of Melobesia patena that supports the lectotype ... designated by Athanasiadis (2019). Lectotype: Harvey's (1849: pl. 40) original illustration designated by Athansiadis (2019) and reproduced in fig. 32. Epitype: North Island, New Zealand.

General Environment
This is a marine species.

Created: 24 November 1998 by M.D. Guiry.

Last updated: 23 February 2024

Verification of Data
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Nomenclatural note
1849: 111, pl.XL (in part) (INA). - (08 September 2022) - G.M. Guiry

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=13637

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 23 February 2024. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 06 April 2025