Providing a valid epithet for the species widely known as Halosacciocolax kjellmanii S. Lund (Palmariales, Rhodophyta) – Rhodophysema kjellmanii sp. nov

Abstract

Saunders G.W. and Clayden S.L. 2010. Providing a valid epithet for the species widely known as Halosacciocolax kjellmanii S. Lund (Palmariales, Rhodophyta) – Rhodophysema kjellmanii sp. nov. Phycologia 49: 628.

In a recent phylogenetic study of rather esoteric members of the red algal order Palmariales, Clayden & Saunders (2010) resolved the affinity of Halosacciocolax kjellmanii S. Lund as within the genus Rhodophysema and thus effected the combination Rhodophysema kjellmanii (S. Lund) Clayden & G.W. Saunders. This combination, however, is invalid because Lund (1959) failed to designate a type for H. kjellmanii as required by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN, Article 37.1). Therefore, along with Lund's new genus and species, all subsequent names in the genus Haloscciocolax are likewise invalid (ICBN, Article 43.1). The heterotypic synonym Halosacciocolax lundii Edelstein (Edelstein 1972; Guiry 1975; Cabioch & Guiry 1976) is therefore invalidly published and not available for this species. Thus, we propose the new name Rhodophysema kjellmanii sp. nov. for this well-characterized, albeit taxonomically orphaned, species.

Key Words::

• Halosacciocolax
• Rhodophysema
• Rhodophysemataceae
• Taxonomy

Thanks are extended to Richard Moe for pointing out our oversight and providing helpful guidance, as well as to Michael Guiry, Craig Schneider, and Michael Wynne for extensive nomenclatural discussions and suggestions. Dan McDevit generated the holotype DNA barcode sequence.