Pyropia montereyensis S.C. Lindstrom & J.R. Hughey, 2015

Lindstrom, Sandra C., Hughey, Jeffery R. & Rosas, Luis E. Aguilar, 2015, Four new species of Pyropia (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) from the west coast of North America: the Pyropia lanceolata species complex updated, PhytoKeys 52, pp. 1-22 : 5

Pyropia montereyensis S.C. Lindstrom & J.R. Hughey sp. nov. Fig. 2

Description.

Thalli lanceolate and acuminate (occasionally oblanceolate) when young, becoming ovate to nearly orbiculate and often cleft when post-reproductive, base cuneate to strongly umbilicate when old; 50-75 mm thick when dried and young, 90-110 mm thick when old; males to at least 2.3 cm wide and 69 cm long; females to at least 4.8 cm wide and 68 cm long (although usually narrower; to 10 cm broad when old); color uniform throughout the thallus except for reproductive areas, olive green when fresh, drying to grayish or brownish purple. Thalli dioecious. Spermatangia in packets of 2-4 × 2-4 × 8-16. Zygotosporangia in packets of 2-4 × 2-4 × 4-8. Habitat: mid to high intertidal rock, usually associated with sand. Phenology: Winter to mid spring. Distinguished from other species of Pyropia by unique rbc L and 18S rRNA gene sequences.

Holotype.

Saxicolous in the upper intertidal on rocks partially buried in sand at the north end of Spanish Bay, Pacific Grove, California, USA (36°37.16'N 121°56.52'W), Hughey, 02 Feb 2014, UC2050590. GenBank sequence KP903972 (rbc L).

Isotypes.

UBC A90632.

Etymology.

This species is named for the biogeographic region in which it is found following the boundaries of Croom et al. (1995) more closely than those of Valentine (1966).

Distribution.

Fort Bragg to just south of Ventura Beach, California, USA.

We did not obtain an SSU sequence from type material of this species. The SSU sequence in GenBank (KP903907) for this species is from another Monterey Peninsula site: Carmel River State Beach.

Figures

Figure 2. Holotype of Pyropia montereyensis. North end of Spanish Bay, Pacific Grove, California, USA, Hughey, 02 Feb 2014 (UC 2050590).