Rhodymeniocolax mediterraneus sp. nov. (Rhodymeniales, Rhodophyta), parasitic on Rhodymenia ardissonei from the western Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

A. Vergés, C. Izquierdo and M. Verlaque. 2005. Rhodymeniocolax mediterraneus sp. nov. (Rhodymeniales, Rhodophyta), parasitic on Rhodymenia ardissonei from the western Mediterranean Sea. Phycologia 44: 510–516.

Rhodymeniocolax mediterraneus Vergés, Izquierdo & Verlaque sp. nov., a sublittoral adelphohemiparasite of Rhodymenia ardissonei from the western Mediterranean Sea, is described. The distinctive vegetative and reproductive characteristics of the new species are: plants generally less than 6 mm in height with terete to compressed axes up to 1(−2) mm broad; a cortex composed of one to three layers of cells; spermatangia arranged in sori located on the subapical part of the thallus; cystocarps laterally positioned on branches; and cruciate tetrasporangia borne in sori. A comparison is made with other parasitic genera of Rhodymeniales and other species of Rhodymeniocolax.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was supported by the ‘Flora Phycologica Iberica’ Programme of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte REN 2001-1473-C03-02/GLO. We are most grateful to John Huisman for the review of the manuscript and helpful comments and suggestions, and also to an anonymous reviewer for improving the manuscript. We also thank NoemíSánchez for collecting samples and for valuable discussions. C. Izquierdo had a grant from the University of Girona.