Ericaria amentacea (C. Agardh) Molinari & Guiry

Marletta, Giuliana & Lombardo, Andrea, 2023, The Fucales (Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae) of the Island of Pantelleria (Sicily Channel, Mediterranean Sea): a new contribution, Italian Botanist 15, pp. 137-163 : 137

Ericaria amentacea (C. Agardh) Molinari & Guiry

Fig. 9A-C

Cystoseira ericoides var. amentacea C. Agardh. Basionym.

Cystoseira stricta var. amentacea (Bory) Giaccone, Halerica amentacea (C. Agardh) Kützing, Carpodesmia amentacea (C. Agardh) Orellana & Sansón. Synonyms.

Morphology of specimens from Pantelleria.

E. amentacea is a caespitose species, fixed to the substrate by a robust crustose holdfast. In situ it shows a blue-violet iridescence, especially near the apices and young branchlets. The apices are spinose and not very prominent. The axes are cylindrical and short. All branches are covered by simple or bifid spinose appendages. During the monitoring activities, this species was found fertile. Receptacles are compact, terminal and spinose, with conceptacles present at the base of each spinose appendage.

Habitat.

During the monitoring, this species was observed forming a continuous belt in the infralittoral fringe along exposed and semi-exposed coasts at Bue Marino, Punta Spadillo, Gadir, Cala Tramontana, Martingana, Scauri, Grotte Sataria, Kuddie Rosse and Arenella.

Distribution.

According to Neiva et al. (2022), this entity falls within the Ericaria selaginoides complex haplogroup A, which is distributed in the Atlantic, south-eastern Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands and the Island of Pantelleria.

Remarks.

Comparing the distribution reported by Alongi et al. (2004) with our data, the distribution of this species appears to have remained almost stable at the investigated sites.

Figures

Figure 9. Ericaria amentacea A, B habit C branches with fertile receptacles.