Avrainvillea levis M. Howe, Bull. Torry Bot.

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 : 73-78

1.1. Avrainvillea levis M. Howe, Bull. Torry Bot. Club 32: 563–586. 1905 ( Fig. 1 , 2 )

Description:—Thallus is robust, erect, gray-green to yellowish-green, losing the green tone when herborized; solitary or forming groups of 2–3, up to 9 cm in height. Bulbous appressorium; stipe is cylindrical to slightly flattened, smooth, up to 3.5 cm in height and 5 mm in diameter; blade is flabellar to reniform, up to 5 cm in height., 6.5 cm wide and <1 mm thick, flat, smooth, fibrous texture, translucent margins, gently rounded, often torn or eroded, absent or indefinite zonation. Surface blade siphons are slightly moniliform, rounded apices, 7–15 μm in diameter; medullary siphons are slightly moniliform to straight, 25–27.5 μm in diameter. Stipe siphons are slightly moniliform to straight, with a diameter of 10.5–20 μm on the surface, a diameter of 30–35 μm medullary; appressorium siphons with different diameters, are straight, tortuous, and moniliform. No fertile specimens were observed.

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

Distribution:— Known from ( Guiry & Guiry 2015): Western Atlantic: Tropical and Subtropical W. Atlantic; North America: Florida; Caribbean Islands: Bahamas, Caicos Islands, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles; South America: Brazil.

Examined Material:— BRASIL, Bahia : Camaçari, Point # A4 (12°44’12.03”S x 38°05’12.53”W), February 2008, CETREL ( ALCB 107082 ) ; Point # J3 (12º51’11.28”S x 38º12’00.75”W), 19 January 2001, CETREL ( ALCB 68363 ) .

Additional examined material: — BRASIL, Alagoas: Akaroa 93 (10º21’15”S x 36º05’30”W), 03 September 1965, Kempf ( SPF 7755 ) ; Espirito Santo: Aracruz, Santa Cruz, 20 July 1990, G. J. P. Mitchell ( RFA 6193 ) ; Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis, CNAAAI– P4 – A2 , 17 August 1980, G. C. Bloise ( RFA 767 ) ; CNAAAI– P3 – A2 , 21 September 1980, G. C. Bloise ( RFA 766 ) ; Grande island (Crena beach), 13 October 1985, C. A. G. Nassar ( RFA 1259 ) ; Biscaia beach, 02 August 2005 R. Bahia ( RB 559754 ) ; Pingo D’Água beach, July 1979, V. Cassano ( RFA 575 ; RFA 666 ) ; Furnas, 11 April 1980, G. J. P. Mitchell ( RFA 5089 ; ALCB 107119 ) ; Rio de Janeiro, Grande island ( Ponta do Guaramú ), 01 November 1983, E. C. Oliveira ( SPF 29973 ) .

1.2. Avrainvillea longicaulis (Kütz.) G. Murray & Boodle, J. Bot. 27: 67–72, 97–101, 1889. Rhipilia longicaulis Kütz. , 13, pl. 28: fig. II, 1858 ( Fig. 1 , 3 )

Description:—Thallus is robust, erect, gray-green to dark green, dry specimens have of-white tones; is solitary, up to 15 cm in height. Bulbous appressorium; stipe is cylindrical or flat, smooth or with some undulations, up to 8 cm in height and 1 cm in diameter; blade is spatulate, reniform or flabelliform, up to 6.5 cm in height, is 7 cm wide and 3 mm thick, flat, leathery texture, softly rounded margins, with darker shades than the rest of the blade; may be torn or eroded away, no zonation. Surface blade siphons are straight or moniliform, with rounded apices, and measure 15–25 μm in diameter; the medullary blade siphons are straight, rarely moniliform, and measure 35–60 μm in diameter; dark margin blade siphons are straight and measure 25–35 μm in diameter. Stipe siphons are slightly moniliform to straight, those at the surface have a diameter of 10–12 μm, and those that are medullary have a diameter of 38–46 μm; appressorium siphons are hyaline, slender, cylindrical with bulbous or expanded apices with a diameter up to 10 μm. No fertile specimens were observed.

Habitat and phenology: —It grows in mediolittoral and infralittoral zones in a sandy substrate, at depths up to 20 m.

Distribution:— Known from ( Guiry & Guiry 2015): Western Atlantic: Tropical and Subtropical W. Atlantic; Atlantic Islands: Bermuda; North America: Florida, North Carolina; Central America: Belize, Panama; Caribbean Islands: Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles, Martinique, Virgin Islands; South America: Aves, Brazil, Venezuela; Asia: Indonesia, Philippines.

Examined material:— BRASIL, Bahia : Caravelas, Lixa reef, 11 June 1964, A. B. Joly et al. (SP-Algae 317573) ; Porto Seguro , Cove of Mutá, 22 February 1981, G. J. P. Mitchell ( RFA 1737 ; ALCB 107118 ) ; Santa Cruz de Cabrália , Coroa Alta, 03 January 1979, E. C. Oliveira ( SPF 51170 ) ; Vera Cruz , Pedrão, 18 September 1982, M. L. Christoffersen ( RFA 1552 ) ; Ponta de Aratuba , 18 September 1982, M. L. Christoffersen ( RFA 1553 ) .

Additional examined material:— BRASIL, Rio Grande do Norte: Rio do Fogo, Parrachos do Rio do Fogo , 07 September 1999, B. M. Feitosa ( JPB 13794 ) ; Touros, Touros beach, 19 November 1989, V.Testa ( SPF 55389 ) ; Paraíba: João Pessoa, Cabo Branco, 13 October 1988, E. C. Oliveira Filho ( SPF 54107 ) ; Tambaú beach, 26 September 1980, A. I. Kanagawa ( SPF 24948 ) ; Alagoas: Barra de São Miguel, Akaroa 62 (09º50’45”S x 35º47’10”W), 06 September 1965, Kempf ( SPF 7714 ) ; Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis, CNAA I – P3 – A2 , 16 November 1980, M. T. M. Széchy ( RFA 765 ; ALCB 109543 ) ; São Paulo: Ubatuba, Codó beach, 07 September 1979, E. C. Oliveira ( SPF 29972 ) .

Figures

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

FIGURE 2. Avrainvillea levis: (a) Thallus from herbarium sheets. (b) Medullary siphon of the stipe. (c) Surface siphons of the stipe. (d) Details of the dichotomy of a stipe siphon (e) Blade siphons. (f) Details of the dichotomy of a surface siphon of the blade. (g) Siphons on the growing margin of the blade.

FIGURE 3. Avrainvillea longicaulis: (a) Thallus from herbarium sheets. (b and c) Detail of the apical region of the rhizoidal filaments. (d) Surface siphons of the stipe. (e) Medullary siphons of the stipe. (f) Medullary siphons of the blade (g) Surface siphons of the blade. (h) Dark siphons of the blade (arrows). (i) Siphons on the growing margin of the blade.