- Reference
- Bot.Mar. 36:396 (1993)
- Conservation Code
- Not threatened
- Naturalised Status
- Native to Western Australia
- Name Status
- Current
Scientific Description
Habit and structure. Thallus with limited prostrate axes and assurgent erect axes to 3 mm tall, red, sparingly dichotomously branched every 12–20 cells, with slightly curved apices. Axes to 150–170 μm diam., comparatively uniform from base to near apices, then tapering abruptly [segment L:B 0.8–0.9]. Axial cells with 8–10 periaxial cells, each cutting off a lateral pseudoperiaxial cell to give a ring of 16–20 cells. Periaxial and pseudoperiaxial cells each cutting off 2 acropetal and (1–) 2 basipetal initials; acropetal initials then cutting off two 1- or 2-celled filaments; each basipetal initial producing 1 descending cortical filament. Cortical filaments in 32–36 longitudinal rows.
Reproduction. Reproductive structures not observed.
Distribution. Widespread in the warmer waters of the Pacific (including eastern Australia) and the western Atlantic Ocean; also occurs in the Indian Ocean (Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia).
Habitat. Epilithic in the subtidal.
[After J.M. Huisman in Algae of Australia: Marine Benthic Algae of North-western Australia, 2. Red Algae: 411 (2018)]