Germainiella maolaniana Kociolek, You, R.Lowe & Q.Wang, 2019

Kociolek, J. P., You, Q. M., Lou, F., P. Yu, Lowe, R. L. & Wang, Q. X., 2019, First Report and New Freshwater Species of Germainiella (Bacillariophyta) from the Maolan Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province, China, Phytotaxa 393 (1), pp. 35-46 : 37

Germainiella maolaniana Kociolek, You, R.Lowe & Q.Wang , sp. nov.

Figures 8–10, 20–23.

Description: Valves lanceolate, with expanded central area and rounded apices, not protracted. Length 11–13 μm, breadth 3.0–3.5μm. A narrow axial area runs the length of the valve. Raphe filiform, with proximal raphe ends barely distinguished. Striae not visible in the light microscope.

In SEM (Figs 20–23), a wide conopeum covers the valve face, interrupted on the valve face towards the margin, being continuous at the apices (Fig. 20). The conopeum is covered with rounded holes and depressions, organized nearly into striae of varying lengths, ca. 150–180 / 10 μm (Figs 19–21). Raphe filiform, with external proximal raphe ends dilated slightly and curved in the same direction. Distally, external raphe ends are curved in the same direction (Fig. 21). Along the raphe opening, the small siliceous struts are not evident in complete valves (e.g. Figs 21, 23), but a break in the valve indicates they are present (Fig. 22). Internally, each stria is composed of a single slit covered by a hymenate occlusion (Fig. 22).

Type: CHINA. Guizhou Province: Maolan Nature Reserve, 25 o 15′42” N, 108 o 04′13” E, The new species was found in mixed samples of benthos, roots and scrapings from rocks from a tree-lined stream, collected by Q–X. Wang & J.P. Kociolek, 4 October 2015 (holotype: SHTU! slide and material GZ-1510081, Biology Department Diatom Herbarium, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China, here illustrated as Fig. 10; isotype: COLO! material 10419, Kociolek Collection, University of Colorado, Museum of Natural History Diatom Herbarium , Boulder, USA) .

Etymology: Named for the natural reserve in which it was found.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality.