Womersleyella herpa (Hollenb.) R.E.Norris

Scientific Description

Habit and structure. Thallus to 3 cm tall, tufted, deep red or purple. Prostrate axes to 220 µm diam., with segments broader than long or equidimensional, attached by elongate rhizoids, these arising mostly from the middle or proximal end of pericentral cells and unicellular except for multicellular digitate pads. Erect determinate branches mostly simple, to 2.5 mm long, arising exogenously or cicatrigenously from scar cells, in a random pattern or with dorsal pairs of branches separated by 3 segments, with segments broader than long near the apices but becoming equidimensional, 95–180 µm diam., and slightly thinner at the base of the branch. Structure with 4 pericentral cells, these slightly offset in relation to adjacent segments, and 1 scar cell per segment in a spiral pattern. Dichotomously divided trichoblasts arising near apices, to 1.2 mm long. Scar cells often becoming multicellular in prostrate axes but remaining vestigial.

Reproduction. Reproductive structures not seen.

Distribution. Widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific, in Australia it is known from Queensland and from north-western Australia.

Habitat. epiphytic or growing on sand in the shallow subtidal.

[After J.M. Huisman in Algae of Australia: Marine Benthic Algae of North-western Australia, 2. Red Algae: 581 (2018)]