Ulva lactuca Linnaeus 1753

Publication Details
Ulva lactuca Linnaeus 1753: 1163

Published in: Linnaeus, C. (1753). Species plantarum, exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas. Vol. 2 pp. [i], 561-1200, [1-30, index], [i, err.]. Holmiae [Stockholm]: Impensis Laurentii Salvii.

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Publication date: 1 May 1753

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Type Species
This is the type species (holotype) of the genus Ulva.

Status of Name
This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Type Information
Type locality: "in Oceano" [Atlantic Ocean]; (Linnaeus 1753: 1163) Lectotype: LINN; 1275.24 Notes: The type is marked "5" and agrees well with Linnaeus's description, and the number five is assigned to Ulva lactuca in Species plantarum (Papenfuss 1960). Molecular data indicate that the holotype specimen of U. lactuca probably came from the Indo-Pacific rather than northern Europe (Hughey et al. 2019).

Origin of Species Name
Adjective (Latin), lettuce (Lewis & Short 1890).

General Environment
This is a marine species.

Created: 31 March 1996 by M.D. Guiry.

Last updated: 19 August 2024

Verification of Data
Users are responsible for verifying the accuracy of information before use, as noted on the website Content page.

Taxonomic note
"Current usage of the name Ulva lactuca, the generitype of Ulva, remains uncertain. Genetic analyses were performed on the U. lactuca Linnaean holotype, the U. fasciata epitype, the U. fenestrata holotype, the U. lobata lectotype, and the U. stipitata lectotype. The U. lactuca holotype is nearly identical in rbcL sequence to the epitype of U. fasciata, a warm temperate to tropical species, rather than the cold temperate species to which the name U. lactuca has generally been applied. We hypothesize that the holotype specimen of U. lactuca came from the Indo-Pacific rather than northern Europe. Our analyses indicate that U. fasciata and U. lobata are heterotypic synonyms of U. lactuca. Ulva fenestrata is the earliest name for northern hemisphere, cold temperate Atlantic and Pacific species, with U. stipitata a junior synonym. DNA sequencing of type specimens provides an unequivocal method for applying names to Ulva species." (Hughey et al. 2019). - (16 June 2010) - M.D. Guiry

Distributional note
Cormaci, Furnari & Alongi (2014: 109) reject records of this entity from the Mediterranean Sea. - (11 May 2006) - G.M. Guiry

Usage note
Crop and biofilter of fishpond effluents (Msuya & Neori 2010). - (08 September 2010) - G.M. Guiry

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=39

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
G.M. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 19 August 2024. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 23 January 2025

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