- Reference
- J.Phycol. 44:723 (2008)
- Conservation Code
- Not threatened
- Naturalised Status
- Native to Western Australia
- Name Status
- Current
Scientific Description
Habit and structure. Thallus red to purple-red, with prostrate and erect axes to 7.5 mm long, attached by rhizoids arising from periaxial cells of lower axes. Erect axes subalternately branched every 4 or 5 cells in the primary axes and every 5–7 cells in lateral axes. Apices straight to curved, not circinate. Periaxial cells 6, each producing basipetally a transversely aligned cell that subsequently cuts off 1 or 2 cells by oblique divisions from the lower corners, and acropetally a pair of cells that divide several times. Cortical cell development more extensive in older nodes. Distal cells of nodes commonly with elongate or clavate vesicular cells. Axial cells of prostrate axes elongate, 80–120 μm diam. [L:B to 6]. Medial axial cells of erect axes spherical to ellipsoidal, 50–70 μm diam. [L:B 1–2]. Young nodes c. 60 μm diam.; mature nodes to 90–170 μm diam. Carposporophytes subterminal, surrounded by 5 or 6 short branches, with 2 or 3 sequentially maturing gonimolobes to 200 μm diam., composed entirely of carposporangia to 40 μm wide when mature.
Reproduction. Tetrasporangia in whorls of 2–4 per node, involucrate (covering almost the entire tetrasporangium), spherical to slightly ellipsoidal, 35–50 μm diam., tetrahedrally divided.
Distribution. Widespread in warmer seas.
[After J.M. Huisman in Algae of Australia: Marine Benthic Algae of North-western Australia, 2. Red Algae: 415–416 (2018)]
Distribution
- IMCRA Regions
- Pilbara (nearshore), Shark Bay.
- Local Government Areas (LGAs)
- Karratha, Shark Bay.