Myriotrichia clavaeformis Harvey 1834

Publication Details
Myriotrichia clavaeformis Harvey 1834: 300, pl. CXXXVIII [138]

Published in: Harvey, W.H. (1834). Algological illustrations. No. I. Remarks on some British algae, and descriptions of new species recently added to our flora. Journal of Botany [Hooker] 1: 296-305, pls CXXXVIII, CXXXIX.

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Type Species
This is the type species (holotype) of the genus Myriotrichia.

Status of Name
This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Type Information
Type locality: Bathing Cove, Torquay, England; (Harvey 1834: 300) Type: Mrs A.W. Griffiths; August 1833; on Chorda limentaria [Scytosiphon lomentarius]; TCD?; (Womersley 1987: 304)

Origin of Species Name
Adjective (Latin), club-shaped (Stearn 1983).

General Environment
This is a marine species.

Created: 07 April 1996 by M.D. Guiry.

Last updated: 15 October 2024

Verification of Data
Users are responsible for verifying the accuracy of information before use, as noted on the website Content page.

Atlas_checklist note
Inadvertently excluded from Guiry (1997). - (11 May 2006) - G.M. Guiry

Nomenclatural note
AlgaeBase had changed clavaeformis to claviformis wishing to conform with Art. 60.8: "Adjectival epithets that combine elements derived from two or more Greek or Latin words but are not formed in accordance with Rec. 60G.1(a) are to be corrected to conform with it, unless Rec. 60G.1(b) or (c) applies. In particular, the use, in pseudocompounding, of the genitive singular of Latin first-declension nouns (Rec. 60G.1(c)) instead of a regular compound (Rec. 60G.1(a)) is treated as an error to be corrected unless it serves to make an etymological distinction." Akira Peters writes (22 February 2016) "The last sentence of 60G.1.(b) states "The latter use of the genitive singular of the first declension for pseudocompounding is treated as an error to be corrected unless it makes an etymological distinction". The examples provided (tubaeflorus and caricaefolius) to my opinion suggest that clavaeformis has to be maintained because there is an etymological distinction. Harvey did probably not want to describe the species to be like a nail (clavus -> claviformis) but rather like a club (clava -> clavaeformis), which well describes the overall habit of the alga; clavis=key we can exclude. He used the term "lineari-clavatae" in the diagnosis, in which the part clavatae could be derived from either of the nouns above but to me it appears more reasonable to think that Harvey associated "club-shaped". In English, the term "clavate" means "club-shaped." I presume if Harvey had wanted to say nail-formed, he would have used "claviformis" himself. Moreover, in Harvey (1841) he wrote "giving the frond a club-shaped figure"." - (10 November 2012) - M.D. Guiry

Taxonomic note
John et al. (2004) cite Myriotrichia repens (Hauck) Korsakoff as a synonym of this species. - (11 May 2006) - G.M. Guiry

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=287

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 15 October 2024. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 28 January 2025

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