Callithamnion Lyngbye, 1819: 123

Classification:
Empire Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Rhodophyta
Subphylum Eurhodophytina
Class Florideophyceae
Subclass Rhodymeniophycidae
Order Ceramiales
Family Callithamniaceae
Tribe Callithamnieae

Lectotype species: Callithamnion corymbosum (Smith) Lyngbye

Original publication:Lyngbye, H.C. (1819). Tentamen hydrophytologiae danicae continens omnia hydrophyta cryptogama Daniae, Holsatiae, Faeroae, Islandiae, Groenlandiae hucusque cognita, systematice disposita, descripta et iconibus illustrata, adjectis simul speciebus norvegicis. pp. [i]-xxxii, [1]-248, 70 pls. Hafniae [Copenhagen]: typis Schultzianis, in commissis Librariae Gyldendaliae.
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Type designated inKylin, H. (1956). Die Gattungen der Rhodophyceen. pp. i-xv, 1-673, 458 figs. Lund: C.W.K. Gleerups.

Taxonomic status: currently recognized as a distinct genus.

Description: Thallus erect to l0 cm high, axes monosiphonous, irregularly branched, with or without rhizoidal cortication, and bearing alternately-placed, branched or unbranched determinate branchlets singly from each cell of the mature axis. Cells multinucleate. Chromosomes 0.3-1.5& long; haploid number 28-33 in most species. Procarps and carposporophytes at intervals of several cells near branch apices. Carpogonial branch 4-celled borne on first formed of pair of opposite pericentral cells with carpogonium lying between 2 auxiliary cells cut off respectively from pericentral cells. Fusion between carpogonium and auxiliary cells by means of connecting cells. Carposporophytes bearing successive groups of carposporangia. Spermatangial clusters and tetrahedrally-divided tetrasporangia borne on cells of determinate branchlets. Common and widespread in most habitats. In culture presence of terminal hairs and density of axial cortication appear to increase in rougher water conditions. Sporangial types (mono-, bi-, poly-) inconsistent lacking taxonomic significance. Range of plant form causing confusion in species delimitation.

Comments: Concept of genus Callithamnion has undergone 2 major changes (a) Nägeli (1861) transferred species without alternate branchlets to Antithamnion, Rhodochorton and Acrochaetium, (b) Feldmann-Mazoyer (1941) erected Aglaothamnion for species having uninucleate cells, zig-zag carpogonial branches and lobed groups of carposporangia, and recircumscribed Callithamnion. Aglaothamnion now sometimes regarded as synonym of Callithamnion with insufficient evidence for separate evolutionary lines of development.

NCBI Nucleotide Sequences

Numbers of names and species: There are 417 species (and infraspecific) names in the database at present, of which 74 have been flagged as currently accepted taxonomically.

Names: ('C' indicates a name that is currently accepted taxonomically; 'S' a homotypic or heterotypic synonym; 'U' indicates a name of uncertain taxonomic status, but which has been subjected to some verification nomenclaturally; 'P' indicates a preliminary AlgaeBase entry that has not been subjected to any kind of verification. For more information on a species click on it to activate a link to the Species database):

References
Choi, H.-G., Kraft, G.T., Kim, H.-S., Guiry, M.D. & Saunders, G.W. (2008). Phylogenetic relationships among lineages of the Ceramiaceae (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) based on nuclear small subunit rDNA sequence data. Journal of Phycology 44: 1033-1048.

Wynne, M.J. & Schneider, C.W. (2010). Addendum to the synoptic review of red algal genera. Botanica Marina 53: 291-299.

Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in CD format. These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above. The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.

Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.

Linking to this page: http://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=126

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 19 June 2013.

Algaebase taxon LSID: urn:lsid:algaebase.org:taxname:8804