Udotea luna D.S. Littler & M.M. Littler 1990: 232

Acosta-Calderón, Julio Adulfo, Hernández-Rodríguez, César, Mendoza-González, Ángela Catalina & Mateo-Cid, Luz Elena, 2018, Diversity and distribution of Udotea genus J. V. Lamouroux (Chlorophyta, Udoteaceae) in the Yucatan peninsula littoral, Mexico, Phytotaxa 345 (3), pp. 179-218 : 203-204

Udotea luna D.S. Littler & M.M. Littler 1990: 232

Type locality:— USA. Florida, Content Keys, Monroe County.

Morphology: — Thalli to 5 cm tall, anchored on substrata by a small bulbous mass of entangled rhizoidal siphons. Stipe cylindrical 4–9 mm long, 2–6 mm in diameter, gradual transition between the stipe and blade. Blade orbicular or reniform, green, slightly wider (1.7–4.5 cm) than longer (1.4–3 cm), lower margin oval o reniform, multistratose, ecorticate (no lateral appendages), slightly calcified, and clearly zonate (Figs. 60, 61).

Anatomy:—Blade siphons without lateral appendages, dichotomously branched, 35–55 μm in diameter ( Fig. 62 ), distance between each dichotomy varies from 900 to 1600 μm, supra dichotomous constrictions 25–40 μm length, 9– 15 μm in diameter ( Fig. 63 ). Stipe siphons adjacent to lateral appendages 33–63 μm in diameter, appendages peduncle 20–120 μm length, 10–45 μm in diameter. Appendages dichotomously branched 1–2 times, with wide dichotomously acute and lanceolate apices ( Fig. 64 ).

Reproduction: — Vegetative

Material examined:— MEXICO. Quintana Roo, Punta Akumal, 16 December 2014, A. C. Mendoza-González, L. E. Mateo Cid, J. A. Acosta Calderón, ENCB 23163. MEXICO. Quintana Roo, Puerto Morelos, 15 June 2014, A. C. Mendoza-González, L. E. Mateo Cid, J. A. Acosta Calderón, ENCB 23160. MEXICO. Quintana Roo, Pulticub, 14 April 2015, A. C. Mendoza-González, L. E. Mateo Cid, J. A. Acosta Calderón, ENCB 23162. MEXICO. Quintana Roo, Rio Indio, 19 December 2014, A. C. Mendoza-González, L. E. Mateo Cid, J. A. Acosta Calderón, ENCB 23161. MEXICO. MEXICO. Quintana Roo, Faro Bahía Espíritu Santo, 21 March 2009, J. A. Acosta Calderón, ENCB 20001. MEXICO. Campeche, Payucán, 25 October 2015, A. C. Mendoza-González, L. E. Mateo Cid, J. A. Acosta Calderón, ENCB 23158. MEXICO. Campeche, Punta Xen, 20 June 2014, A. C. Mendoza-González, L. E. Mateo Cid, J. A. Acosta Calderón, ENCB 23157. MEXICO. Campeche, Punta Xen, 14 October 2004, A. C. Mendoza-González, L. E. Mateo Cid, ENCB 17825. MEXICO. Campeche, Playa Villamar, 25 January 2016, A. C. Mendoza-González, L. E. Mateo Cid, J. A. Acosta Calderón, ENCB 23155.

Geographic distribution: — Bahamas, Florida, Belize, Cuba, Mexico.

Habitat: — Rocky platforms with soft waves and calcareous rocks in turbid waters. Subtidal to 2 m depth.

Comments:— Littler & Littler (1990) indicate that U. luna shows morphologically similitude to U. looensis , nevertheless in this study morphological differences were found in the blade shape between them; U. luna has an oval blade with lower margin truncated or reniform, whereas U. looensis shows an orbicular blade with lower oval margin. In addition, the superior margin of the blade is unistratose in U. looensis , whereas U. luna presents a multistratose superior margin, as mentioned by Littler & Littler (1990). The diameter of stipe and blade siphons are smaller than those recorded in specimens from Belize ( Littler & Littler 1990), but similar to those documented in specimens from Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico ( Collado-Vides et al. 2009). Finally, this species is recorded for the first time for the Campeche shore.

Figures

FIGURES 61–64. U. luna. 61) external morphology, 62) blade lateral appendages, 63) detail of the supradichotomic constriction of the blade siphon, 64) stipe lateral appendage. FIGURES 65–69. U. norrisii. 65-66) external morphology, 67) blade lateral appendages, 68) stipe lateral appendage, 69) detail of the upper portion of the blade siphon showing sexual reproductive structures.