Laurenciella namii Popolizio, C.W.Schneider & C.E.Lane, 2022

Popolizio, Thea R., Schneider, Craig W., Jongbloed, Walter M., Saunders, Gary W. & Lane, Christopher E., 2022, Molecular analysis resolves the taxonomy of the Laurencia complex (Rhodomelaceae, Ceramiales) in Bermuda and uncovers novel species of Chondrophycus and Laurenciella, Cryptogamie, Algologie 20 (1), pp. 1-30 : 8

Laurenciella namii Popolizio, C.W.Schneider & C.E.Lane , sp. nov.

( Fig. 4)

HOLOTYPE. — CraigW. Schneider (CWS)/ Christopher E. Lane (CEL)/ Thea R. Popolizio (TRP) 12-11-2 [BDA0597] ( Fig. 4B), 18.I.2012, Spanish Point Park , north shore Bermuda I., Bermuda, western Atlantic Ocean, 32°18’26.4”N, 64°48’56.6”W, depth 0-2 m [deposited in MICH]; isotypes – Bermuda Natural History Museum (BAMZ), Herb. CWS [BDA0598] ( Fig. 4A), NY, UNB.

HOLOTYPE DNA BARCODE. — GenBank OK209887, COI- 5P.

PARATYPES. — Bermuda. CWS/CEL/TRP 10-16-12 [BDA0227], 21.VIII.2010, Whalebone Bay , St. George’s I., 32°21’51.0”N, 64°42’43.5”W, depth 1 m ; CWS/CEL/TRP 10-33-13 [BDA0502] (see Appendix 1); CWS/CEL/TRP 10-33-15 [BDA0504], 25.VIII.2010, Spanish Point Park , loc. cit., depth 2 m ; CWS/CEL/TRP 12-8-1 [BDA0544], 17.VI.2012, Brackish Pond Flats, north shore Bermuda I., 32°21’07.0”N, 64°48’02.5”W, depth 3-4 m ; TRP/CWS 12-143-4 [BDA1591], 25.X.2012, Trunk I., Harrington Sound , 32°19’58.7”N, 64°43’33.9”W, depth 1-2 m ; CWS/TRP 13-20-4 [BDA1871], 18.IX.2013, Whalebone Bay , loc. cit., depth 1 m. Florida. CWS/ CEL/TRP/ D.C. McDevit (DCM) 13-9-5 [KW109] (see Appendix 1); CWS/CEL/TRP/DCM 13-9-17 [KW125], 29.V.2013, Key West, White St. Pier, 24°32’45.4”N, 81°47’00.0”W, depth 2 m ; CWS/ CEL/TRP/DCM 13-9-25 [KW133], White St. Pier, loc. cit., depth 2 m ; CWS/CEL/TRP/DCM 13-14-7 [KW219], 31.V.2013, Cudjoe, Summerland Bridge , 24°39’39.0”N, 81°26’10.9”W, depth 1- 3 m.

EPONOMY. — An honorific name for Professor Ki Wan Nam of Pukyong National University, Korea, who has played a significant role in the taxonomic diversification of the Laurencia complex using both morphological and phylogenetic data.

DISTRIBUTION. — Bermuda and Florida, United States.

SEASONALITY. — Collected throughout the year in Bermuda.

DESCRIPTION

Plants to 15 cm tall with main axes yellow-orange and deep red branchlets ( Fig. 4A), fleshy; main axes lax, slender, to 1 mm diam., suboppositely to alternately spiraled branching and arising from discoidal holdfasts. Mature axes in lower portions, elongated and lacking branchlets, appearing denuded ( Fig. 4A); upper portions demonstrating profuse alternate to irregular branching ( Fig. 4C); ultimate branchlets cylindrical to clavate, to 2 mm long and 140-350 µm in diam. Vegetative axes with 4 pericentral cells; secondary pit connections present in cortical cells; cortical cells in surface view 20-45 µm diam., irregularly rounded-polygonal to ovoid, becoming more elongated in lower portions of branches, outer cortical cells often appearing obpyriform at branch apices; corps en cerise present in living plants, one per outer cortical cell; outer cortical cells acutely projecting, the surface appearing crenate in longitudinal section ( Fig. 4D, F). In transverse section, two layers of pigmented cortical cells with three inner layers of colorless irregularly globose medullary cells 30-115 µm diam., decreasing in size radially toward the cortex ( Fig. 4E). In section, outer cortical cells rounded-rectangular to ovoid or campanulate, 25-40 µm diam. and 20-35 µm long. Deep apical pits at branch apices bearing dense trichoblast systems to 220 µm long with 3-4 orders of subdichotomous branching ( Fig. 4F, G). Reproductive structures not found. Distinct from other species of Laurenciella by its COI-5P and rbc L molecular sequences.