Rhipilia orientalis A. Gepp & E. Gepp, Expeditie Monographie LXII

Do Nascimento Santos, Gabriel & De Castro Nunes, José Marcos, 2015, True identity of Avrainvillea and Rhipilia (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) from the Coast of Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 213 (2), pp. 71-86 : 80-82

2.2. Rhipilia orientalis A. Gepp & E. Gepp, Expeditie Monographie LXII 1–150. 1911 ( Fig. 5 , 7 )

Description:—Thallus is delicate, erect, green to yellowish or brownish; solitary, up to 5 cm in height. Bulbous appressorium; stipe is cylindrical, narrow, unbranched, up to 2 cm in height and up to 5 mm wide; fan or cup-shaped blade, up to 2.5 cm in height, 2–4.5 cm wide and <1 mm thick, zonate, soft texture, translucent margin, rounded, often torn. Siphons are cylindrical, dichotomous, constricted or not above the dichotomies, with an inner ring formed by thickening of the wall of the filament, 30–40 μm in diameter, rounded apices. Tenacula occur from lateral branches of the siphons, constricted or not at the base, with two to four conspicuous projections, rarely five, adhere to adjacent filaments to keep them together. No fertile specimens were observed.

Habitat and phenology:—It grows in infralittoral zones in a sandy substrate, at depths of 20– 60 m.

Distribution:— Known from ( Guiry & Guiry 2015): Western Atlantic: Tropical and Subtropical W. Atlantic; South America: Brazil; Africa: Tanzania; Indian Ocean Islands: Amirante Islands; Asia: Indonesia, Japan, Philippines; Australia and New Zealand: Papua New Guinea, Queensland; Pacific Islands: Central Polynesia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of Palau, Solomon Islands.

Examined material:— BRASIL, Bahia : Camaçari, Point # G9 (12º51’14.71”S x 38º06’25.69”W), 24 July 2000, CETREL ( ALCB 49583 ) ; Point # E9 (12º49’34.45”S x 38º05’04.28”W), 20 July 2004, CETREL ( ALCB 68362 ) .

Additional examined material:— BRASIL, Rio Grande do Norte: Rio Grande do Norte plateau, Station 98 (05º15’S X 34º59’W), 13 January 1966, Canopus ( SPF 27672 ) ; Espírito Santo: Trindade island, Jaseur bank (20°29’00”S x 36°06’00”W), 12 March 2009, G. M. Amado Filho ( RB 481064 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Rhipilia species in the state of Bahia coast.

FIGURE 7. Rhipilia orientalis: (a) Variations/morphotype of thalli from herbarium sheets. (b) Detail of simple tenaculum showing three projections (arrow). (c) Detail of composite tenacula (arrows). (d) Detail of numerous tenacula on blade siphon. (e) Siphons on the growth margin. (f and g—view from SEM) Tenaculum showing four and three projections, respectively.