Bibliographic Detail
Kawai, H., 1993
Reference:
Kawai, H. (1993). Morphology and life history of Kurogiella saxatilis gen. et sp. nov. (Chordariales, Phaeophyceae). Phycologia 32: 462-467.
Abstract:
Kurogiella saxatilis gen. et sp. nov. (Leathesiaceae, Chordariales) is described from the cold-water area of Hokkaido. It
grows on exposed rocks in the intertidal zone. K. saxatilis is an annual, appearing in spring and maturing in winter. Erect
thalli are pulvinate, solid, rugose, gelatinous and yellowish to dark brown. They are composed of a holdfast, closely packed
colourless cylindrical medullary filaments and a cortical layer. The latter consists of 4-8(-1 I )-celled assimilatory filaments,
colourless hairs and ellipsoid or long-lanceolate unilocular sporangia. Each cell contains several discoid chloroplasts with
pyrenoids. Plurilocular sporangia are unknown. Kurogiella is closely related to Leathesia sect. Primariae, but is distinguished
by its much larger, epilithic, solid thallus having almost isodiametric assimilatory filaments. In culture, unispores develop
into prostrate filaments, from which pulvinate erect thalli arise directly. Further development of erect thalli occurred under
long-day conditions of 5°C and 10°C, and formation of unilocular sporangia occurred under 5°C short-day conditions. The
direct type of life history of K. saxatilis, lacking a gametophytic generation, is considered to be an adaptation to the winter
field conditions influenced by ice.
