Halopeltis J.Agardh, 1854
Holotype species: Acropeltis australis J.Agardh
Publication details: J.Agardh, 1854: 110
Currently accepted name for the type species: Halopeltis australis (J.Agardh) G.W.Saunders
Original publication and holotype designation: Agardh, J.G. (1854). Nya algformer. Öfversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-Academiens Förhandlingar, Stockholm 11(4): 107-111.
Request PDFDescription: Rhodymeniacean taxa with a medulla of large cells, typically two ordered rows near apices in some species, in irregular arrays in others, the cells separated by intervening spaces with small intercalating cells. Tetrasporangial sori initiated by the swelling of pre-existing (i.e., not adventitious) intercalary and terminal outer cortical cells, some converting to sporangial production, others compressed between developing sporangia appearing as 1–2- celled sterile filaments, but the general impression is that most outer cortical cells will eventually convert to sporangial production. Tetrasporangial sori are confined to a single thallus surface in some species, produced predominantly on one surface in others, or developing equally on both surfaces, but with one side lagging in development relative to the other. Sori are initially circular to oval, but expand with age to become oblong to cordiform (where branch tips are dichotomous). Cystocarps are protuberant, spherical or occasionally hemispherical, weakly to strongly basally constricted, and ostiolate; pericarp chambers are lined to varying degrees with an anastomosing network of typically stellate cells. Spermatangial mother cells, where known, are typically columnar to obpyriform.
Information contributed by: G.W.Saunders. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2011-04-08 by M.D. Guiry.
Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.
Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Saunders, G.W. & McDonald, B. (2010). DNA barcoding reveals multiple overlooked Australian species of the red algal order Rhodymeniales (Florideophyceae), with resurrection of Halopeltis J. Agardh and description of Pseudohalopeltis gen. nov. Botany 88: 639-667, 73 figs.
Nomenclatural note
Saunders & McDonald (2010: 656-657) recount the "convoluted" nomenclatural history of this entity: "Agardh (1854) erected the genus Halopeltis ultimately on the basis Rhodymenia australis Sonder, which unfortunately has a convoluted nomenclatural history. Sonder (1845) included (as var. constricta) Fucus constrictus
Turner (1809-1811) in his description of Rhodymenia
australis, rendering his name superfluous and thus illegitimate.
In recognizing this, Silva (in Silva et al. 1996) proposed
the substitute name Rhodymenia sonderi P.C. Silva
unaware of Womersley's (1996, p. 77) proposal, published just three days earlier, that R. foliifera Harvey (1863) be regarded as a taxonomic synonym of Rhodymenia australis and thus an available name for this species. However, an earlier legitimate name is available for this taxon if it is transferred from Rhodymenia. In his transfer of R. australis to Sphaerococcus (as S. australis), Kützing (1849) excluded F. constrictus such that this binomial is not superfluous rendering "australis" a legitimate epithet and available for this species in genera for which the binomial is not a later homonym. Unfortunately, Sphaerococcus australis Kützing is a
later homonym of S. australis Harvey (1844), rendering this
binomial illegitimate. However, in transferring S. australis
Kützing to Acropeltis, J. Agardh (1852) established a legitimate
name (Acropeltis australis J. Agardh) for what is presently
called Rhodymenia sonderi P.C. Silva, in the event this
species is transferred from Rhodymenia. Acropeltis australis
is thus a legitimate name on which Agardh (1852) based his
genus Halopeltis. Unfortunately, Agardh never formally
made the combination Halopeltis australis (effected here),
but he did validly publish his genus (Agardh 1852,
pp. 110), which we resurrect for this speciose genus
thus far known only from the Southern Hemisphere." - (26 March 2011) - M.D. Guiry
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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=51081
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 08 April 2011. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 31 May 2025
