Kvaleya W.H.Adey & Sperapani, 1971
Holotype species: Kvaleya epilaeve W.H.Adey & Sperapani
Original publication and holotype designation: Adey, W.H. & Sperapani, C.P. (1971). The biology of Kvaleya epilaeve, a new parasitic genus and species of Corallinaceae. Phycologia 10: 29-42.
Request PDFDescription: Plants calcified, lacking genicula, entirely pseudoparenchymatous; encrusting in growth-form; epigenous and growing attached to a species of Phymatolithon (the only known substrate; see comments); haustoria present, consisting of single cells developing from ventral surface of thallus and penetrating surface layers of host plants and occasionally penetrating host cells.
Thallus organization wholly dorsiventral; thallus construction monomerous throughout, consisting of a single system of branched laterally coherent filaments that form an irregular cushion-like mound of procumbent to ascending to upright filaments; coaxial growth (in which cells of adjacent filaments in core region are aligned in arching tiers) not recorded. Filaments terminating at thallus surface with or without epithallial cells (one per filament); outermost walls of epithallial cells rounded or flattened but not flared at the corners; cell elongation occurring mainly behind actively dividing subepithallial initials that are usually as short as or shorter than their immediate inward derivatives. Cells of adjacent filaments linked by fusions; secondary pit-connections unknown.
Gametangia and carposporangia developing in uniporate conceptacles. Spermatangia (male gametangia) and carpogonia (female gametangia) produced in separate conceptacles, presumably on different plants. Spermatangia terminal on unbranched filaments that arise from the conceptacle chamber floor but not the roof; spermatangial initials not observed; spermatangial conceptacle roof formation) occurring centripetally from groups of vegetative filaments peripheral to developing spermatangial filaments on the conceptacle chamber floor. Carpogoina terminating 2-3 celled unbranched filaments that arise from the conceptacle chamber floor. Carposporophytes developing in carpogonial conceptacles after presumed fertilization; mature carposporophytes apparently lacking a large conspicuous central fusion cell, but (Woelkerling 1988: 169; fig. 186) possibly with a small central fusion cell, and possessing several-celled filaments bearing terminal carposporangia.
Tetrasporangia formed in conceptacles on separate plants from gametangia and carposporangia. Roofs of tetrasporangial conceptacles multiporate and composed of cells. Tetrasporangia each containing four zonately arranged spores and producing an apical plug that blocks a roof pore before spore release. Bisporangia unknown.
Information contributed by: Wm. J. Woelkerling. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2024-02-24 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: Athanasiadis, A. & Ballantine, D.L. (2024). Anatomy and classification of the Mesophyllaceae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta), based on phylogenetic principles. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 118: [i]-xii, [1]-216, 83 figures, 6 tables.
Comments: Information on the taxonomic history, nomenclature, and other matters associated with the name Kvaleya is contained in Woelkerling (1988: 167-169). Growth form terminology follows Woelkerling et al. (1993).
A detailed account of Kvaleya epilaeve,the type and only known species, is provided by Adey & Sperapani (1971), and additional information and illustrations occur in Woelkerling (1988: 167-169, figs 177-186). No subsequent detailed accounts of the species have been published.
According to Adey & Sperapani (1971: 37), living plants are white and have no visible plastids, and epithallial cells seldom occur. Kvaleya has been found only on plants identified by Adey & Sperapani (1971) as Leptophytum laeve. According to Düwel & Wegeberg (1996: 481-482), however, who compared relevant types and determined that the genus Leptophytum is a heterotypic synonym of Phymatolithon (see separate AlgaeBase accounts of these genera), Adey’s concept of Leptophytum laeve involves plants that are in full accordance with the lectotype of Phymatolithon tenue (Rosenvinge) Düwel & Wegeberg (see Düwel & Wegeberg 1996).
Biogeographically, Kvaleya is recorded (Adey & Sperapani 1971: 29) from northern Norway, Iceland, Labrador, Newfoundland, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Gulf of Maine. According to South & Hooper (1980: 54), Kvaleya is much more widely distributed in Newfoundland than is indicated by existing collections.
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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=38437
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 24 February 2024. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 19 April 2024
