Chroococcus cf. minor (Kützing) Nägeli (1849: 47)

Jr, Watson Arantes Gama, Iv, Haywood Dail Laughinghouse & Sant’Anna, Célia Leite, 2014, How diverse are coccoid cyanobacteria? A case study of terrestrial habitats from the Atlantic Rainforest (São Paulo, Brazil), Phytotaxa 178 (2), pp. 61-97 : 70-71

Chroococcus cf. minor (Kützing) Nägeli (1849: 47) ( Figs. 5D–5E ).

Basionym: Protococcus minor Kützing (1845: 144) .

Irregular colonies, 8.6–24.2 µm diam., 2–4–8 celled. Sheath diffluent, hyaline, inconspicuous, homogeneous, smooth. Cells spherical to hemispherical, 2.8–3.4 µm diam. Cell content homogeneous to slightly granulated, blue-green.

Habitat: —Dry soil.

Notes: — Chroococcus minor is probably a polyphyletic species, since it is reported for distinct environments ( Komárek & Anagnostidis 1998). Kützing (1845) predicted this variability when he described three different varieties for C. minor , separating them by habitat. Hence, the population found in the Atlantic Rainforest is similar to var. mucosus Kützing (1849: 198) , since both grow on soils, a habitat not related to the typical C. minor . However, the use of varieties in cyanobacteria seems contradictory, since even a species concept is not well defined ( Johansen & Casamatta 2005). Moreover, these varieties were never used, not cited by Nägeli (1849) or any other author therafter.

Studied material: — BRAZIL. São Paulo: São Luís do Paraitinga, State Park of “Serra do Mar” ( Santa Virgínia ), 23º 20’ 36” S, 45º 7’ 44” W, 24 February 2010, W.A. Gama-Jr. (SP 401425); Cananéia, “Recanto do Mar” Inn, 25º 1’ 16” S, 47º 55’ 31” W, 30 June 2010, W.A. Gama-Jr. & C.F.S. Malone (SP 401446) .

FIGURES 4B–4D . Asterocapsa aerophytica . 4B. General colonial aspect. 4C. Released spores. 4D. Colonies growing on a filament of Scytonema . FIGURES 4E– 4F . Asterocapsa sp. 1 . 4E. General colonial aspect. 4F. Detail of a cell with a granulated sheath (arrow).

FIGURES 4G–4I . Asterocapsa sp. 2 . 4G. Mature colony forming spores (arrow) and young colonies. 4H. Agglomerate of young colonies. 4I. Colony with cells densely packed and surrounded by colored sheaths.

FIGURES 4J– 4L . Chroococcus subviolaceus . 4J. Isolated cells. 4K. General colony habit. 4L. Cells in tetrad arrangement.

Figures

FIGURES 4A. Coelosphaeriopsis sp. General aspect of a colony and detail of cells in individual envelopes (arrow).

FIGURES 5A–5B. Chroococcus tenax. 5A. General colony habit highlighting the lamellated sheaths. 5B. Desiccated cell showing concentrically lamellate sheaths and blue color.