Holmsella Sturch, 1926

Holotype species: Holmsella pachyderma (Reinsch) Sturch

Original publication and holotype designation: Sturch, H.H. (1926). Choreocolax polysiphoniae Reinsch. Annals of Botany 40: 585-605.

Description: Plants form tiny (to 3 mm diam.), hemispherical, erumpent pustules on species of Gracilaria and consist either of narrow, interwoven filaments or mostly of inflated, subisodiametric cells. Penetrating cells form abundant secondary pit connections to medullary cells of the host. Depending on the species, all free-living phases of the life history are colorless, or only the spermatangial thalli lack pigmentation. Initiation and development of the carposporophyte is as for the family, the gametophytic cortex above the horizontally expanding gonimoblast becoming thicker but not differentiating into a pericarp. Fredericq and Hommersand (1990) found no evidence of auxiliary cells or connecting filaments in the European type species. Cystocarps occur in large numbers scattered across the verrucose surface of the pustules and are non-protuberant. An ostiole is not formed. Gametophytes are dioecious, the spermatangial chains forming across the entire surface. Tetrasporangia are decussately cruciate and scattered through the outer cortex.

Information contributed by: G.T. Kraft. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2017-01-26 by M.D. Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Gender: This genus name is currently treated as feminine.

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: Distribution: The type species was originally described from England and occurs from the southern British Isles to northern Spain. The second species, H. australis Noble and Kraft, is restricted to southeastern Australia.

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=42299

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 26 January 2017. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 19 April 2024