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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or in the census. We are hoping to be able to reinstate services around December 15; we will provide an update at that time.

The notice period started at 9:00 am on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Monday, 15 December 2025 +08:00.

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Chaetomorpha melagonium (F.Weber & D.Mohr) Kütz.

Reference
Phycol.Germ. 204 (1845)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Scientific Description

Habit and structure. Thallus dark green, epilithic, with tufts of several erect, rigid filaments 2–3 cm long, attached by a spreading, lobed, discoid holdfast and also rhizoids from elongate basal cells which are (1.5–)2–3(–4) mm long, clavate and 300–500 µm in diameter at their upper ends. Filaments only slightly increasing in diameter upwards. Cells 400–600 µm in diameter and L/B 1.5–2 below, and 400–800(–1000) µm in diameter and L/B 1–1.5( –2) above; cells not to moderately incised at cross walls; wall 30–50 µm thick; chloroplasts densely reticulate with numerous pyrenoids.

Reproduction. Unknown for Australian plants; elsewhere by biflagellate and quadriflagellate zoospores.

Distribution. In Australia, known from Belinda Beach, N side of Middle I., Recherche Archipelago, W. Aust., and Flat Rock Bay, S coast of Yorke Pen, S. Aust.

Habitat. In sand near shore on rock platform.

[After Womersley, Mar. Benthic Fl. Southern Australia I: 174 (1984)]