Plocamium is a genus of red algae in the family Plocamiaceae. It contains around 40 species and has a cosmopolitan distribution in temperate seas, although it is most diverse in the southern hemisphere.[1] It is widely distributed in tropical and also warm-temperate and cold-temperate seas, such as northern Europe,[2] the northern Arabian Sea and western Australia.[3] They are also found in the Antarctic regions of Admiralty Bay (maritime Antarctica, Antarctic Peninsula) and Terra Nova Bay (in the Ross Sea).[4]

Plocamium
Plocamium corallorhiza from South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
(unranked): Archaeplastida
Division: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Plocamiales
Family: Plocamiaceae
Genus: Plocamium
J.V. Lamouroux, 1813
Type species
Fucus cartilagineus
Linnaeus, 1753
Plocamium sp. from South Africa

Description edit

Plocamium has erect elliptical thalli that grow up to 50 cm (20 in) in length. They are bright red in color with strongly flattened delicately branching fronds that further divide into two to five smaller branchlets.[5][6] Cystocarps (fruiting parts) are either scattered along the frond margins or found on special short fertile branches, and lack a specialized pore for carpospore release. Tetrasporangia are borne in specialized stichidia (branches of the thallus) of various morphologies.[2]

Accepted species edit

Species classified under the genus include the following:[7][8]

Nomina dubia:

References edit

  1. ^ Cremades, Javier; Barreiro, Rodolfo; Maneiro, Isabel; Saunders, Gary W. (2011). "A new taxonomic interpretation of the type of Plocamium cartilagineum (Plocamiales, Florideophyceae) and its consequences". European Journal of Phycology. 46 (2): 125–142.
  2. ^ a b Saunders, Gary W.; Lehmkuhl, K. Virginia (2005). "Molecular divergence and morphological diversity among four cryptic species of Plocamium (Plocamiales, Florideophyceae) in northern Europe". European Journal of Phycology. 40 (3). doi:10.1080/09670260500192935.
  3. ^ Wynne, Michael (November 2002). "A description of Plocamium fimbriatum sp. nov. (Plocamiales, Rhodophyta) from the Sultanate of Oman, with a census of currently recognized species in the genus". Nova Hedwigia. 75 (3–4): 333–356. doi:10.1127/0029-5035/2002/0075-0333.
  4. ^ Majewska, Roksana; Kuklinski, Piotr; Balazy, Piotr; Yokoya, Nair Sumie; Martins, Aline Paternostro; De Stefano, Mario (2014). "A comparison of epiphytic diatom communities on Plocamium cartilagineum (Plocamiales, Florideophyceae) from two Antarcticareas". Polar Biology. doi:10.1007/s00300-014-1578-7.
  5. ^ "Plocamium: the delicate beauty". MBARI, Phycological Society of America. Archived from the original on July 12, 2004. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  6. ^ M.D. Guiry (2012). "Plocamium J.V.Lamouroux, 1813: 137". AlgaeBase. National University of Ireland. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  7. ^ Nilauro Markus; Marla Ranelletti & Christopher Loo (1999). "World Distribution of Plocamium sp". Plocamium pacificum. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  8. ^ M.D. Guiry (2012). Guiry MD, Guiry GM (eds.). "Plocamium J.V. Lamouroux, 1813". AlgaeBase. National University of Ireland, Galway. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved February 7, 2012.