Cyanosarcina sp.

Jr, Watson Arantes Gama, Iv, Haywood Dail Laughinghouse & Sant’Anna, Célia Leite, 2014, How diverse are coccoid cyanobacteria? A case study of terrestrial habitats from the Atlantic Rainforest (São Paulo, Brazil), Phytotaxa 178 (2), pp. 61-97 : 72

Cyanosarcina sp. ( Figs. 5J–5L ).

Irregular packed and rare colonies, isolated cells often present. Sheath firm to diffluent, hyaline to dark red, conspicuous to inconspicuous, non-lamellate, smooth. Cells spherical, hemispherical to irregular, (4.4)5.2–6.7 µm diam. Cell content homogeneous to slightly granulated, brownish purple.

Habitat: —Dry concrete wall.

Notes: —This morphotype resembles both the genera Cyanosarcina Kováčik (1988: 175) and Chroococcus Nägeli (1849: 45) . With the first, it has the giant sarcinoid cells in common, formed by successive divisions. With the second, this population shares the isolated cell shape and the colored sheaths. In spite of this, we chose to keep this material identified as Cyanosarcina due to ‘giant cells’ ( Fig. 5K ), which are not described in Chroococcus . We judge this to be a more relevant character than sheath color, since envelopes only color in senescent stages. However, we do not discard the possibility that this population is a new genus, distinct from both. This morphotype was only found in culture.

Studied material: — BRAZIL. São Paulo: Cananéia, State Park of “Ilha do Cardoso” ( Perequê ), 25º 4’ 8” S, 47º 55’ 12.24” W, 29 June 2010, W.A. Gama-Jr. & C.F.S. Malone (SP 401439) .

Figures

FIGURES 5A–5B. Chroococcus tenax. 5A. General colony habit highlighting the lamellated sheaths. 5B. Desiccated cell showing concentrically lamellate sheaths and blue color.