Batrachospermum turfosum Bory

Ganesan, E. K., West, John A. & Jr, Orlando Necchi, 2018, A catalogue and bibliography of non-marine (freshwater and estuarine) Rhodophyta (red algae) of India, Phytotaxa 364 (1), pp. 1-48 : 16

Batrachospermum turfosum Bory

Taxonomic synonyms: Batrachospermum guianense Montagne : Martens, 1869a, p. 234; Batrachospermum vagum (Roth) C. Agardh : Krempelhuber 1869; Biswas 1949, p. 104; Patel & Francis 1968, p. 203, Pl. IX, figs 1–9; Shaikh & Vaidya 1972, p. 65; Balakrishnan & Chaugule 1980c, p. 228, figs 1–3; Desikachary et al. 1990, Part II A, p.94; Ratha & Adhikary 2009, p. 62, figs 2 A–J & 3 A–E; Das & Ramanujam, 2010, p. 207.

Distribution in India: Assam (Darjeeling); Gujarat (at Lunawada, 41 km north of Godhra. Nov. Dec.); Madhya Pradesh (Pachmarhi); Meghalaya (Crinoline, also spelt Krinoline Falls, Shillong; Jaintia Hills in unimpacted coal mine acid drainage streams); Odisha (in a hill spring near Daringibadi, Kandhamal. Apr. Oct.); South Andamans (in creeks above Water Cove).

Notes: Kumano (2002, p. 215, Pl. 129, figs 1–3), included Balakrishnan & Chaugule’s (1980c) figures of the Indian B. vagum specimens, but placed them under B. turfosum , which we have followed here. However, B. guianense (Montagne) Kützing is considered as a valid and currently accepted species and different from B. turfosum ( Guiry & Guiry 2017) . A recent study of B. turfosum (as B. vagum ) from Odhisha, India by Rath & Adikary (2009) did not provide critical details of the characteristic carpogonial branches, i.e. carpogonia with clubshaped trichogynes and many short-celled involucral filaments. Balakrishnan & Chaugule (1980c) reported asexual monospore reproduction of the large gametophytes in Maharashtra, but Shaik & Viadya (1972) did not report them in populations from Gujarat. Vis & Kapustin (2009) also discussed relationships between B. turfosum and B. keratophytum citing Müller et al. (1997) as two species being genetically identical.