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The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system and census were set to read-only mode on 1 October 2025. Taxonomic updates published since this time are not being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or Western Australia’s taxonomic names census (Nomos). Conservation listings displayed on Florabase may also be out of date. Please refer to DBCA’s Threatened species and communities webpage for the most recent Threatened and Priority Flora List, noting that recent taxonomic updates are similarly not included. Our database migration is moving to a staging phase. We thank you for your patience as we ensure the integrity of our biodiversity data, develop new workflows, and train staff to use the new systems. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

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Dictyota naevosa (Suhr) Mont.

Reference
Hist.Nat.Iles Canaries (Phytogr.) 3:145 (1840)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Scientific Description

Habit and structure. Thallus medium to dark brown, occasionally light brown when fresh, usually 20–40 cm long with branches 1–2.5(–3) cm broad, subdichotomously branched (2–)5–10 cm apart, commonly with unbranched upper parts often 10–15 cm long, with rounded axils and apices; proliferations present only after damage. Holdfast of rhizoids and sometimes with a few, subterete, short, stolons; epilithic. Cortical cells (15–)20–30(–40) µm across, L/B 1–2(–3),with the medullary cell outlines usually conspicuous in dried specimens. Cortex forming compact, short, filaments of 2–6 cells in the central part very close to the base. Medulla monostromatic, rarely 2 cells thick very near the base. Hair tufts often more or less in lines across the branches, hairs 15–20 µm in diameter.

Reproduction. Tetrasporangia 80–120(–180) µm in diameter, grouped into elongate-ovoid sori mostly 2–4 mm long and 1–2 mm across, centred around hair tufts, often with other scattered sporangia. Sexual reproduction unknown.

Distribution.In southern Australia, from Horrocks Beach, W. Aust., to Port Willunga, S. Aust.

Habitat. D. naevosa is apparently a deep water species, known from the drift and to 31 m deep.

[After Womersley, Mar. Benthic Fl. Southern Australia II: 190–192 (1987)]

John Huisman & Cheryl Parker, 3 August 2021

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Geraldton Sandplains, Swan Coastal Plain.
IBRA Subregions
Geraldton Hills, Perth.
IMCRA Regions
Central West Coast, Leeuwin-Naturaliste.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Augusta Margaret River, Cockburn, Northampton, Rockingham.