Codiophyllum sp.

Resendiz, María Luisa Núñez, Dreckmann, Kurt M., Sentíes, Abel, Wynne, Michael J. & Tejera, Hilda León, 2019, Marine red algae (Rhodophyta) of economic use in the algal drifts from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Phytotaxa 387 (3), pp. 219-240 : 233

Codiophyllum sp.

Thallus erect, with a fairly rigid or crisp texture, contorted, 12–16 cm long, with flattened axes in cross section, 45–110 μm in diameter. Red-pink in color. Main axes dichotomously branched; branches covered completely by short laterals curved inwardly given to the thallus a cylindrical appearance ( Fig. 56 ) with a highly crenulate surface; apices with small flattened and membranous ligules (2–5 mm in length) ( Fig. 57 ). Multiaxial organization with a filamentous medulla and a pseudoparenchymatous cortex ( Fig. 58 ). Medulla composed of several filaments, 1.5–3.5 μm in diameter. Cortex composed of three layers of irregular cells, 3–5.5 μm in diameter.

Taxonomic comment: These specimens were identified as Codiophyllum sp. from rbc L sequence data that were compared, with the help of Dr. Gary W. Saunders, with other species of Halymeniaceae . Our specimens came out sister to Codiophyllum natalense J.E.Gray , the generitype and known only from South Africa (Chiang 1970, De Clerck et al. 2005). The only other currently recognized species in the genus is C. flabelliforme (Sonder) F.Schmitz , which occurs in southern and southwestern Australia ( Scott et al. 1984, Womersley & Lewis 1994, Huisman 2000). Similar to those two recognized species of Codiophyllum , the Mexican specimens had a sponge associated with the surface, although not present in great abundance. Morphologically, our specimens also present, as in these two recognized species, small apical ligules or filiform processes, which seems to be a diagnostic character for the genus ( Chiang 1981, Huisman 2000). These Mexican specimens appear to be an undescribed species.

Figures

FIGURES 51–64. 51–53. Gracilaria usneoides. 51. Habit. Scale bar = 3 cm. 52. Medullary and cortical cells. Scale bar = 260 μm. 53. Mature cystocarp. Scale bar = 420 μm. 54–55. Gracilariopsis tenuifrons. 54. Habit. Scale bar = 4 cm. 55. Medullary and cortical cells. Scale bar = 170 μm. 56–58. Codiophyllum sp. 56. Habit. Scale bar = 4 cm. 57. Apices with small ligules. Scale bar = 5 cm. 58. Medullary filaments and cortical cells. Scale bar = 120 μm. 59–61. Halymenia pseudofloresii. 59. Habit. Scale bar = 4 cm. 60. Medullary filaments and cortical cells. Scale bar = 460 μm. 61. Tetrasporangium in cortex. Scale bar = 40 μm. 62–64. Botryocladia occidentalis. 62. Habit. Scale bar = 4 cm. 63. Medullary and cortical cells in cylindrical axes. Scale bar = 300 μm. 64. Medullary and cortical cells in globular branches. Scale bar = 150 μm.