- Reference
- Phycologia 193-199, figs 1-24 (1987)
- Conservation Code
- Not threatened
- Naturalised Status
- Native to Western Australia
- Name Status
- Current
Scientific Description
Habit and structure. Thallus largely unconsolidated, mostly 0.1–0.4 mm in greatest extent, vegetative portions endophytic but conceptacles produced externally to the host. Structure filamentous to partly pseudoparenchymatous; construction diffuse, consisting of simple or branched, laterally cohering, filaments with cells mostly 7–16 µm in diameter and 8–30 µm long; cell elongation characteristics uncertain; cells of adjacent filaments joined by cell-fusions, secondary pit-connections absent; epithallial cells mostly 8–11 µm in diameter and 5–11 µm long, absent from vegetative portions of thallus but terminating most conceptacle roof filaments, with distal walls rounded or flattened but not flared; haustoria occasional, penetrating cells of host; trichocytes unknown.
Reproduction. Vegetative reproduction unknown. Gametangia, carposporangia and tetrasporangia formed in uniporate conceptacles produced externally to the host. Bisporangia unknown. Gametangial thalli probably dioecious. Carpogonia terminating 2- or 3-celled filaments arising from the female conceptacle chamber floor. Mature female-carposporangial conceptacle roofs protruding above the host surface, 40–70 µm thick, composed of 3–7 layers of cells above the chamber, conceptacle chambers 60–150 µm in diameter and 50–70 µm high. Carposporophytes developing within female conceptacles after karyogamy, mature carposporophytes composed of a conspicuous central fusion cell and several-celled gonimoblast filaments bearing terminal carposporangia 19–27 µm in diameter. Spermatangial filaments unbranched, arising from the floor of male conceptacle chambers, mature male conceptacle roofs protruding above the host surface, 30–65 µm thick, composed of 3–7 layers of cells above the chamber, conceptacle chambers 90–110 µm in diameter and 35–60 µm high. Tetrasporangial conceptacle roofs protruding above the host surface, 40–80 µm thick above the chamber and composed of 3–7 layers of cells, conceptacle chambers 100–190 µm in diameter and 65–115 µm high; tetrasporangia peripheral to a central columella, each mature sporangium 15–25 µm in diameter and 35–50 µm long, containing four zonately arranged tetraspores.
Distribution. Kalbarri, W. Aust., to Urquhart Bluff, Vic.
Habitat. L. minderiana has been found only on genicula of Metagoniolithon chara growing in tide pools and to depths of 8 m.
[After Woelkerling in Womersley, Mar. Benthic Fl. Southern Australia IIIB: 240 (1996)]