Sonderophycus Denizot, 1968

Holotype species: Sonderophycus australis (Sonder) Denizot

Publication details: Denizot, 1968: 260, 307

Currently accepted name for the type species: Sonderophycus capensis (Montagne) M.J.Wynne

Original publication and holotype designation: Denizot, M. (1968). Les algues floridées encroutantes (à l'éxclusion des Corallinacées). pp. [1]-310, 227 figs. Paris: Laboratoire de Cryptogamie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle.

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Description: Thallus cartilaginous, weakly calcified hypobasally and with clustered cystoliths, or uncalcified, composed of broadly spreading often loosely-attached lobes. Blades multiaxial, composed of equally developed spreading parallel mesothallial or hypothallial filaments from which arise assurgent dorsal perithallial filaments at mostly narrow angles (to 45°) from the distal ends of hypothallial and mesothallial cells. Ventral perithallus absent or extensive. Rhizoids multicellular, long and fibrous. Hairs absent. Tetrasporangial nemathecia superficial, with or without paraphyses. Female nemathecia with paraphyses. Auxiliary cell branches 5 or 6 cells long; suprabasal cell acting as the auxiliary cell. Carposporophytes extensive, composed of richly branched gonimolobes with many small carposporangia that develop directly from the diploidised auxiliary cell or the connecting filament. Spermatangia forming dense globose clusters.

Information contributed by: K.R. Dixon (2018). The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2020-06-21 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 masculine.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Sherwood, A.R., Paiano, M.O., Spalding, H.L. & Kosaki, R.K. (2020). Biodiversity of Hawaiian Peyssonneliales (Rhodophyta): Sonderophycus copusii sp. nov., a new species from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Algae. An International Journal of Algal Research 35(2): 145-155, 3 figures.

Taxonomic notes
"The type specimen of Peysonnelia australis Sonder in MEL is a Peysonnelia and is distinct from the taxon known as Sonderophycus australis (Sonder) Denizot [type species of Sonderophycus]. The latter, which is based on P. australis Sonder, is distinct generically from Peyssonnelia and is therefore re-described as Sonderopelta coriacea gen. et sp. nov. P. australis Sonder is an earlier name for P. gunniana J. Agardh but a synonym of P. capensis Montagne (Womersley & Sinkora 1981). Silva et al. (1996: 210) cite Peysonnelia australis as a synonym of P. capensis. - (18 July 2013) - G.M. Guiry
"Since the generic name Sonderophycus is based on Peyssonnelia australis Sonder, it must be relegated to synonomy of the latter. No alternative generic name or specific epithet exists for Sonderophycus which dates only from 1968 and was imperfectly presented" (Womersley & Sinkora 1981: 85). Krayesky et al. (2009) demonstrated that the type species of Sonderophycus (S. australis) and Sonderopelta (S. coriacea) belonged in a single genus that was distinct from Peyssonnelia. However, they chose to recognize the junior name Sonderopelta. Sonderophycus has priority over Sonderopelta and thus the correct name for the type species is Sonderophycus capensis (Mont.) M.J.Wynne (Wynne, 2011; Schneider & Wynne, 2013). - (18 July 2013) - G.M. 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=43011

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 21 June 2020. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 17 May 2025