Chara foliolosa H.L.Mühlenberg ex C.L. Willdenow 1805: 86

Borges, Fabio Renato & Jr, Orlando Necchi, 2017, Taxonomy and phylogeny of Chara (Charophyceae, Characeae) from Brazil with emphasis on the midwest and southeast regions, Phytotaxa 302 (2), pp. 101-121 : 109

Chara foliolosa H.L.Mühlenberg ex C.L. Willdenow 1805: 86

Fig. 9–15

Plants monoecious, up to 45.6 cm high, without calcium carbonate deposition.Axes 305–999 μm in diameter; internodes 0.2–2.5 times longer than the branchlets, to 5.9 cm length; cortex 3 corticate, isostichous to slightly tylacanthous; spine-cells solitary, 56.7–1101 μm long, 26–83 μm in diameter at base. Stipulodes in two whorls, two times as numerous as the branchlets, exceeding basal branchlet segment, except at basal nodes; uppers 275–1337 μm long, 48–141 μm in diameter, acuminate; lowers 212–890 μm long, 49–127 μm in diameter, acuminate. Branchlets 7–15 forming a whorl, 0.6–5.7 cm long; intercalary segments 3–13, corticate, 370.1–9291 μm long, 124–695 μm in diameter; basal segment ecorticate, 195–1967 μm long, 135–620 μm in diameter; apical segment formed by 1 ecorticated cell,, 204–1606 μm long, 31–143 μm in diameter. Bract-cells 3–11, forming whorls, the largest ones often directed towards the thallus, 44–2135 μm long, 35–117 μm in diameter, acuminate. Bracteoles 2, 188–1320 μm long, 53–131 μm in diameter, larger or smaller than the oogonia. Gametangia sejoined, at the same or different branchlet, at the 2 nd to 5 th nodes. Oogonia 346–955 μm long, 147–637 μm in diameter; convolutions 9–12; coronula 69–271 μm high, 103–293 μm wide, apex divergent. Oospores dark brown, 612–919 μm long, 379–602 μm wide; striae of 10–14 low to prominent ridges; fossae 41–86 μm across; wall granulate. Oospore wall featureless to finely granulate in ultrastructure. Antheridia 247–831 μm in diameter, octoscutate.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso do Sul: entrance to Recanto Ecológico Rio da Prata, Municipality of Jardim, 21°29’21.1’’S, 56°26’16.6’’W, 15 May 2014, Coll. F. R. Borges ( SJRP28309 ). São Paulo: Talhadinho Stream , Municipality of São José do Rio Preto , elev. 502m, 20°43’45.5’’S ; 49°17’51.3’’W, 4 September 2014, colls. F. R. Borges & O. Necchi Jr. ( SJRP31929 ). Paulicéia, Municipality of José Bonifácio , elev. 440 m, 21°00’44.1’’S ; 49°41’21.6’’W, 4 September 2014, colls. F. R. Borges & O. Necchi Jr. ( SJRP31527 ). Municipality of Neves Paulista , elev. 530 m, 20°50’54.6’’S ; 49°34’13.7’’W, 4 September 2014, colls. F. R. Borges & O. Necchi Jr. ( SJRP31534 ). Rio das Pedras , Municipality of São José do Rio Preto , 20º56’1”S, 49º23’28”W, 02 July 2010, coll. L. H. Z. Branco

The sample from Rio das Pedras had only few fragments and not enough to perform observations and measurements of the morphological characters. It was included because values of DNA sequence identity revealed close affinity to the other samples. The ITS2 marker was not amplified for this sample.

C. foliolosa was described in older studies ( Bicudo 1972, 1974), but not in the more recent investigations on Characeae from Brazil. This is remarkable since it was the most frequently species collected in our expeditions.

DNA sequences:— rbc L-KY656911, KY656912, KY656914, KY656915, KY656907; ITS2-KY656931, KY656932, KY656934, KY656935 mat K-KY656922, KY656923, KY656925, KY656926, KY656918.

Figures

FIGURES 9–15. Chara foliolosa. 9. Habit. 10. Monoecious plant with oogonium (red arrow) and antheridium (blue arrow) at the same branchlet. 11. Ecorticated basal segment of a branchlet. 12. Apical segment with one ecorticated cell and bract-cells around. 13. Granular aspect of the oospore wall under light microscope. 14. Overview of the oospore SEM. 15. Granular aspect of the oospore wall under SEM.