taxonID	type	description	language	source
91653536FFA7D15BFF21FCB7FD16FEAC.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. Slide no. 05556 (represented here by Figure 13), deposited in the Herbarium of K. A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences (HD), Moscow, Russia, prepared from oxidized culture strain CBMC 129 ef. Isotype. Slide no. 05556 a, Herbarium of Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reference strain. CBMC 129 ef from the Culture and Barcode Collection of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria “ Algabank ” (СВМС), isolated from sample E 67. Type locality. Ethiopia, Oromia Region, Lake Langano, periphyton, 1591 m elev., 7 ° 38.85 ’ N 38 ° 49.176 ’ E, leg. B. A. Levin, 15 April 2016. Sample E 67.	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFA7D15BFF21FCB7FD16FEAC.taxon	description	Description. LM (Figs 1 – 18). Valves linear-lanceolate with rounded ends. Length 7.4 – 13.5 μm (11.9 ± 1.6; n = 30), width 3.5 – 4.5 μm (4.0 ± 0.3; n = 30). Axial area narrow, weakly expanded towards the central area. Central area bowtie-shaped, formed by 3 – 4 shortened striae on each side. Raphe filiform. Striae weakly radiate, 24 – 26 in 10 μm. SEM. External views (Figs 19 – 21). Valve face slightly convex. Raphe weakly lateral. Central raphe ends slightly expanded. In the initial valves, distal raphe ends terminate on valve face. One of the distal raphe ends is curved, the other is almost straight. Striae uniseriate. Shortened intercalary striae and short striae on the valve apices are present. Areolae small, rounded, ca. 70 in 10 μm. SEM. Internal views (Figs 22 – 25). Raphe branches almost straight, filiform. Central raphe ends weakly unilaterally deflected. Distal raphe ends terminating in small helictoglossae. Shortened intercalary striae present. Areolae covered by individual hymenes. Sequence data. Partial 18 S rDNA gene sequence comprising V 4 domain sequence (GenBank accession number PV 383267) and partial rbc L sequence (GenBank accession number PV 384976) for the strain CBMC 129 ef.	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFA7D15BFF21FCB7FD16FEAC.taxon	etymology	Etymology. This species is named after Nikolay Ivanovich Ashinov (1859 – 1902), a renowned Russian Cossack chieftain and traveler in Africa, who made significant contributions to the development of Russia-Abyssinia relations. He was also an amateur linguist who published the book “ The Abyssinian alphabet and the initial Abyssinian-Russian dictionary ”.	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFA7D15BFF21FCB7FD16FEAC.taxon	distribution	Distribution. As yet known only from the type locality. Molecular study. S. ashinovii sp. nov. forms an independent branch on the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 26) that is sister to strains of Sellaphora minima (Grunow) D. G. Mann in Round et al. (1990: 552). These strains are part of a larger clade that also includes Sellaphora seminulum (Grunow) D. G. Mann (1989: 2) and S. terrestris Glushchenko, Kezlya, Maltsev & Kulikovskiy in Glushchenko et al. (2022: 2).	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFA2D156FF21F98EFCE9FE50.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. Slide no. 05583 (represented here by Figure 49), deposited in the Herbarium of K. A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences (HD), Moscow, Russia, prepared from oxidized culture strain CBMC 155 ef. Isotype. Slide no. 05583 a, Herbarium of Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reference strain. CBMC 155 ef from the Culture and Barcode Collection of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria “ Algabank ” (СВМС), isolated from sample E 14. Type locality. Ethiopia, Mesekelhericho, Adaba, West Arsi, nameless mountain stream, periphyton, 2978 m elev., 07 ° 1.96 ’ N 39 ° 33.277 ’ E., leg. B. A. Levin, 3 April 2016. Sample E 14.	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFA2D156FF21F98EFCE9FE50.taxon	description	Description. LM (Figs 27 – 59). Cells in girdle view rectangular, slightly bent. Valves linear-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, with rounded ends. Length 8.6 – 11.7 μm (9.8 ± 0.6; n = 32), width 3.7 – 4.5 μm (4.1 ± 0.2; n = 32). Raphe straight, filiform, with expanded central ends. Axial area on the raphe valve narrow linear, central area may be indistinct, usually asymmetric, formed by 1 – 2 central striae shortened and spaced wider than the rest. Striae radiate, 15 – 16 in 10 μm. Axial area on the rapheless valve also linear, widening towards the centre. A rounded cavum is present on the one side of the rapheless valve. Striae weakly radiate to almost parallel in the centre of the valve, more radiate towards the ends, 14 – 18 in 10 μm. SEM. Raphe valve (Figs 60, 62). External central raphe ends straight, expanded, distal ends curved to one side and extended onto the mantle. Internal central raphe ends slightly bent to the opposite sides and set quite widely apart, distal ends terminate in small helictoglossae. Striae multiseriate, each stria consists of 4 (3) rows of small circular areolae. Rapheless valve (Figs 61, 63). Cavum large, rounded, usually with a relatively small opening. A vestigial raphe is present on the inside. Striae multiseriate, consisting of 3 – 4 rows of small circular areolae. Internally, the interstriae are distinctly raised on both valves. Sequence data. Partial 18 S rDNA gene sequence comprising V 4 domain sequence (GenBank accession number PV 383266) and partial rbc L sequence (GenBank accession number PV 384975) for the strain CBMC 155 ef.	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFA2D156FF21F98EFCE9FE50.taxon	etymology	Etymology. This species is named after Archimandrite Paisius (Vasily Filippovich Balabanov, 1832 – 1912), the leader of the spiritual mission of Ashinov’s expeditions to Abyssinia in 1888 – 1889, honoring his contribution to the strengthening of Russia-Abyssinia ties.	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFA2D156FF21F98EFCE9FE50.taxon	distribution	Distribution. As yet known only from the type locality. Molecular study. On the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 64), this species forms a separate branch that is related to strains of the Planothidium frequentissimum (Lange-Bertalot) Lange-Bertalot (1999: 282) and Planothidium victori Novis, Braidwood & Kilroy in Novis et al. (2012: 22) complex.	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFADD154FF21FF77FCD5FE74.taxon	description	S. atomoides (Grunow) Wetzel & Van de Vijver in Wetzel et al. (2015: 219) also resembles Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. (see Table 3) in valve shape, striae pattern, and structure of central and axial area, the central area being formed by shortened striae in both species. These species can be differentiated by valve width (3.5 – 4.5 μm in Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. vs. 2.6 – 3.7 μm in S. atomoides) and striae density (24 – 26 in 10 μm in Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. vs. 30 – 36 in 10 μm in S. atomoides). Lastly, Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. is similar to S. subseminulum (Hustedt) C. E. Wetzel in Wetzel et al. (2015: 218) (see Table 3). These species resemble each other in valve shape, striae pattern, and shape of axial and central areas. They can be differentiated by valve width (3.5 – 4.5 μm in Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. vs. 3.3 – 3.8 μm in S. subseminulum). The axial area in the new species is narrow, widening weakly towards the central area, while in S. subseminulum the axial area does not widen (Wetzel et al. 2015, figs 180 – 182). The central area is bordered by 3 – 4 shortened striae in Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and by 5 – 6 very short striae in S. subseminulum (see Table 3). The striae density is 24 – 26 in 10 μm in Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and 20 – 24 in 10 μm in S. subseminulum. On the phylogenetic tree, the strain of S. ashinovii sp. nov. forms a separate branch that is sister to strains of Sellaphora minima (Fig. 26). Unfortunately, there are no vouchers available for the strain TCC 524 of S. minima, thus a morphological comparison with our new species cannot be carried out. Strain BM 42, identified as S. cf. minima, was illustrated with a single image in Evans et al. (2008, Fig. 8 c), which is also insufficient for a proper morphological comparison. Even so, judging by the one available image, this strain differs from S. ashinovii sp. nov. by valve outline, size of central area, and striae density. Currently, according to Wetzel et al. (2015), S. minima is regarded as a synonym for S. saugerresii which was discussed above. Representatives of Sellaphora Mereschkowsky have been fairly well studied with the use of morphological and molecular analysis (Evans et al. 2008; Mann et al. 2009; Vanormelingen et al. 2013, Wetzel et al. 2015), with new species being described in recent years from different parts of the world (Andreeva et al. 2018; Kochoska et al. 2021; Glushchenko et al. 2022; Ni et al. 2022 and others). Nevertheless, acquisition of molecular data from new strains from various geographical locations is essential for correct identification of taxa in floristic and ecological studies, as well as for taxonomical investigations, especially since the genus Sellaphora contains difficult species complexes, e. g. Sellaphora pupula (Mann et al. 2004; Evans et al. 2008, etc.).	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
91653536FFAED155FF21FDA9FE1BFC7C.taxon	description	Our study is one of the first molecular studies of diatoms in Africa. Establishing a library of strains from different locations is a very important step in diatom research, and data like this is valuable for future studies in taxonomy, biodiversity, and biomonitoring.	en	Tseplik, Natalia, Glushchenko, Anton, Maltsev, Yevhen, Genkal, Sergey, Iurmanov, Anton, Kulikovskiy, Maxim (2025): Molecular and morphological investigation of Sellaphora ashinovii sp. nov. and Planothidium paisiusii sp. nov. - two new diatom species from Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 701 (2): 161-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.701.2.3
