Nitella crocodylus Casanova & Karol, 2023

Casanova, Michelle T. & Karol, Kenneth G., 2023, Charophytes of Australia’s Northern Territory - II. Tribe Nitelleae, Australian Systematic Botany 36 (4), pp. 322-353 : 333-335

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1071/SB22029

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11148839

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A70387E4-9422-274E-7D0D-2A7A48D5FDA9

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Nitella crocodylus Casanova & Karol
status

sp. nov.

Nitella crocodylus Casanova & Karol , sp. nov.

Type: Manton Dam, 5 Sep. 2010, M. T.Casanova r760 (holo: DNA!; iso: BM!, MEL!, NY!) .

[ Nitella pseudoflabellata f. sonderi auct. non ( A.Braun) R.D.Wood: R.D.Wood in R.D.Wood & K.Imahori, Revis. Charac. 1: 589–590 (1965)].

[ Nitella pseudoflabellata var. imperialis auct. non T. F.Allen: R.D. Wood, Nova Hedwigia 22: 69 (1971)].

Dioecious. Plants up to 30 cm high, with some long branchlets along the axis; plant apex with mucus-covered heads ( Fig. 6 a, c View Fig ). Axes 400–500 µm wide; internodes up to 12 cm long in the lower parts, 10–20 mm in the upper parts, approximately as long as the sterile branchlets. Fertile branchlets 6 in a whorl; variable in length, some very short and in contracted whorls, others with very long (6–9 mm) primary branchlet segments; mostly 2× furcate, primary segments 1–9 mm long, secondary segments 4–6, up to 0.5–2 mm long or more if not bearing gametangia, 3–6 tertiary segments (dactyls) up to 0.6 mm long. Sterile branchlets 6 in a whorl, 2× furcate, primary segments 5–15 mm long, secondary segments 3–5, up to 6 mm long but often shorter, tertiary segments (dactyls) 2 or 3, up to 3 mm long ( Fig. 6 b View Fig ). Fertile and sterile dactyls similar, bicellulate, up to 1 mm long, tapering to a conical, acute end-cell ( Fig. 6 d View Fig ). Fertile branchlets often contracted into axial and apical heads ( Fig. 6 c View Fig ). Post-fertile branchlets apparently extend the primary branchlet segment, appearing as little brushes of segments and dactyls at the tips ( Fig. 6 e View Fig ), mucus present around young fertile branchlets. Gametangia on separate plants at all fertile branchlet nodes. Oosporangia solitary, coronula up to 20 µm high, upper cells approximately the same as lower ( Fig. 7 f View Fig ). Oospores dark brown, 270–300 µm long and 240–270 µm wide ( Fig. 6 h View Fig ) with 6 or 7 striae with porous flanges 5–19 μm high and ornamentation in 2 layers; the lower layer perforate with sinuate holes ( Fig. 6 g View Fig ), the upper layer incompletely reticulate, consisting of ropey lines ( Fig. 6 i View Fig ). Basal-cell impressions almost rectangular ( Fig. 6 j View Fig ). Antheridia up to 250 µm in diameter. Chromosome numbers not known.

Recognition

This species is characterised by abundant mucus and branchlets with very long primary segments (most likely postreproductive whorls), as well as other, more regularly furcate branchlets. It is distinguished from Nitella oollooensis by the presence in N. oollooensis of central secondary and tertiary branchlet-segment lengths. The oospores are also distinctive.

Distribution

Water bodies in the vicinity of Darwin.

Etymology

This species is in reference to the animal with which the plant coexists in its habitats in the Northern Territory (Crocodylus porosus, the saltwater crocodile). It is a noun in apposition.

Specimens examined

NORTHERN TERRITORY: Manton Dam, 5 Sep. 2010, M. T. Casanova r761 (DNA, MEL); Yirrkala , 19 Aug. 1948, R. L. Specht A48 ( BM, NY); Angularli Creek, Murgenella , 29 Aug. 1987, G. Leach 1397 (DNA, NT) .

M

Botanische Staatssammlung München

T

Tavera, Department of Geology and Geophysics

BM

Bristol Museum

MEL

Museo Entomologico de Leon

NY

William and Lynda Steere Herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden

A

Harvard University - Arnold Arboretum

R

Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Chile

K

Royal Botanic Gardens

F

Field Museum of Natural History, Botany Department

L

Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden University branch

G

Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève

NT

Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Charophyta

Class

Charophyceae

Order

Charales

Family

Characeae

Genus

Nitella

Loc

Nitella crocodylus Casanova & Karol

Casanova, Michelle T. & Karol, Kenneth G. 2023
2023
Loc

Nitella pseudoflabellata var. imperialis

R. D. Wood 1971: 69
1971
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