Opuntiella Kylin, 1925
Holotype species: Opuntiella californica (Farlow) Kylin
Original publication and holotype designation: Kylin, H. (1925). The marine red algae in the vicinity of of the Biological Station at Friday Harbor, Wash. Lunds Universitets Årsskrift, Ny Följd, Andra Afdelningen 21(9): 1-87, 47 figs.
Request PDFDescription: Plants reach 30 cm in height, are erect from a fleshy discoid base, and consist of a primary blade bearing varying numbers of secondary blades from the margin, this pattern capable of being repeated to several orders.
Blades are multiaxial, the medulla being broad and filamentous and the cortex compact. Large refractive cells occur scattered in the outer cortex, the function of which is presumably for storage rather than secretion (Young 1979).
Spermatangial mother cells are elongate and produce up to 3 spermatangia each. Carpogonial branches are 3-celled and borne terminally on short modified vegetative filaments, the hypogynous cell being large and refractive. Following fertilization the carpogonium divides into 2 cells from which up to 6 connecting filaments arise. Auxiliary cells are surrounded by cortical cells bearing chains of nutritive cells. As the inwardly directed gonimoblast expands it incorporates most of the nutritive cells into a central fusion cell. Chains of gonimoblast radiating from the fusion cell mature almost entirely into carposporangia, which are shed through an ostiole. Tetrasporangia are scattered in the cortex.
Information contributed by: G.T. Kraft. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2010-10-07 by M.D. Guiry.
Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.
Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Schneider, C.W. & Wynne, M.J. (2007). A synoptic review of the classification of red algal genera a half a century after Kylin's "Die Gattungen der Rhodophyceen". Botanica Marina 50: 197-249.
Comments: Reproductive details are discussed in a preliminary way by Hansen and Scagel (1980).
Distribution: Endemic to western North America from Alaska to Baja California, mostly in subtidal habitats.
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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera,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: https://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=42244
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 07 October 2010. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 20 April 2024
