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Abstract
Two new epiphytic species of Ulnaria (Kützing) Compère, U. titicacaensis E. Morales, Ector & P.B. Hamilton and U. macilenta E. Morales, C.E. Wetzel & S.F. Rivera, are described from the Tiquina Strait, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. The taxa have distinctive morphological features and their separation from morphologically related taxa and from each other is predominantly based on features of the valve central area and type of colonies. Whereas most morphologically similar taxa have a clear unilateral central area and form ribbon-like colonies, U. titicacaensis has a central area which is large and depressed internally, square to rectangular fascia, forms pin-cushion-like colonies mainly on Cladophora species, and has large polyphosphate bodies located toward the frustule apices. In contrast, U. macilenta has a similar central area to that in U. titicacaensis, but has narrower valves, forms short palisade groupings arranged in pin-cushion-like colonies, mainly on Oedogonium species and has polyphosphate bodies distributed throughout the frustule lumen. Morphological and ecological aspects of both new taxa are discussed in the light of available literature.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Public Research Centre – Gabriel Lippmann, Luxembourg for making possible a research trip of E.A. Morales to Europe to work partly on the material presented in this manuscript. We thank Bart Van de Vijver for critical review of the paper and for providing type material for Ulnaria colcae. The efforts of Michel Poulin and an anonymous reviewer are also appreciated.