Morphology and anatomy of Spongites africanum comb. nov. (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) from the Cape Verde Islands
Fecha
1993Resumen
On the basis of critical studies on the morphology
and anatomy of the holotype collection and new
material from the Cape Verde Islands, Lithophyllum
africanum FOSLIE (= Porolithon africanum (FOSLIE)
FOSLIE) is transferred to the genus Spongites KUT
ZING. Plants of Spongites africanum (FOSLIE) AFON
SO-CARRILLO, CHACANA & SANSON comb. nov. form
subhemispherical masses, about 10 cm diameter, with
a crustose portion and numerous compressed and confluent erect protuberances. Three of the five characters used to circumscribe Spongites are present in the
holotype of Lithophyllum africanum: cells of contigous filaments interconnected by cell fusions, thallus
composed of numerous layers of cells and normally
over 200 pm thick and thallus devoid of a coaxial
core of filaments. Uniporate tetrasporangial concept
acles and tetrasporangia devoid of apical plugs, are
the only characters not apparent in the holotype, but
its are evident in the material examined from the
Cape Verde Islands.