Avrainvillea nigricans Decne., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. Second

Do Nascimento Santos, Gabriel & De Castro Nunes, José Marcos, 2015, True identity of Avrainvillea and Rhipilia (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) from the Coast of Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 213 (2), pp. 71-86 : 78

1.3. Avrainvillea nigricans Decne., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. Second Series 18: 96–128. 1842 ( Fig. 1 , 4 )

Description:—Thallus is robust, erect, dark green, dark brown to black, gray when herborized; solitary or forming groups of 2–5, up to 9 cm in height. Bulbous appressorium; stipe is cylindrical or slightly flat, plane, smooth, up to 5 cm in height and with a diameter of 0.2–0.7 mm; flabelliform or spatulate blade, 3–5 cm in height, 3.0– 6.5 cm wide, and 0.1 mm thick, flat or undulating, leathery texture, no zonation, slightly rounded edge, torn or eroded. Thallus with fully moniliform siphons; blade surface siphons are deeply moniliform, with rounded apices, 20–30 μm diameter; slightly moniliform blade medullary siphons 28–40 in diameter; stipe surface siphons are deeply moniliform, 10–20 in diameter; stipe medullary siphons are slightly moniliform, 30–60 μm in diameter; moniliform appressorium siphons, with cylindrical apices, 15–35 μm in diameter. There were no fertile specimens observed.

Habitat and phenology: —It grows in mediolittoral and infralittoral zones, in sandy substrate and biodetrical gravel, in depths up to 30 m.

Distribution:— Known from ( Guiry & Guiry 2015): Western Atlantic: Tropical and Subtropical W. Atlantic; Atlantic Islands: Bermuda; North America: Florida, Mexico; Central America: Belize, Panama; Caribbean Islands: Bahamas, Barbados, Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles, Martinique, Virgin Islands; South America: Brazil, Venezuela; Africa: Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania; Indian Ocean Islands: Seychelles; Asia: India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines; Australia and New Zealand: Queensland; Pacific Islands: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands.

Examined material:— BRASIL, Bahia : Caravelas, Siriba island, 27 November 1984, G. J. P. Mitchell ( RFA 1707 ; ALCB 109544 ) ; Sebastião Gomes reef, winter of 2007, B. N. T. Silva ( SPF 56613 ) ; Salvador , Rio Vermelho beach, 15 November 1968, D. V. Martins ( ALCB 17335 ) ; Santa Cruz de Cabrália , In front of the city, 26 November 1981, Y. Ugadim ( SPF 9971 ) ; Lixa reef, 11 June 1964, A. B. Joly et al. ( ALCB 48225 ) ; Vera Cruz , Ponta de Aratuba, 18 September 1982, M. L. Christoffersen ( JPB 10981 ) .

Additional examined material:— BRASIL, Pernambuco: Ipojuca, Serrambi beach, 15 October 1986, M. C. Accioly ( PEUFR 12777 ) ; 27 November 1986, M. C. Accioly ( PEUFR 12782 ) ; 31 March 1987, M. C. Accioly ( PEUFR 12779 ) ; Sergipe: Station 191, 10°22’25.47”S x 36°00’81.12”W, 10 April 1997, Projeto Revizee ( ALCB 95227 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Avrainvillea species in the state of Bahia coast.

FIGURE 4. Avrainvillea nigricans: (a) Thallus from herbarium sheets (b) Surface siphons of the stipe. (c) Medullary siphon of the stipe. (d) Detail of the dichotomy of a stipe siphon. (e) Blade siphons. (f) Siphons on the growing margin of the blade. (g) Detail of the dichotomy of a blade siphon.