Spirirestis rafaelensis V.R.Flechtner & J.R.Johansen 2002

Publication Details
Spirirestis rafaelensis V.R.Flechtner & J.R.Johansen 2002: 7, figs 1-7

Published in: Flechtner, V.R., Boyer, S.L., Johansen, J.R. & DeNoble, M.L. (2002). Spirirestis rafaelensis gen. et sp. nov. (Cyanophyceae), a new cyanobacterial genus from arid soils. Nova Hedwigia 74: 1-24.

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

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

Type Information
Type locality: USA: Utah: San Rafael Swell, Emery County (39°06.066'N, 110°44.713'W) (19.v.1995); (Flechtner & al. 2002: 7) Holotype: 19.v.1995; BRY; C35162 (Flechtner & al. 2002: 7) Notes: Type culture: UTEX 2660

Description
Colony softly mounded on agar, with slightly irregular margins, not tufted, dark blue-green, maintaining its colour at four months; the only evidence of colour change to olive or ochre occurring with cell death in drying, older cultures. Colony compact, with densely arranged filaments, but no evidence of external mucilage production. Although filaments can be seen within the colony at 30 x magnification, filaments do not extend horizontally or vertically from the colony. Colony morphology is similar on both Bolds Basal and Z-8 media.

Filaments forming tight, regular spirals which can be seen to taper slightly in young cultures. Filaments 6-20 µm in diameter; spirals 16-28 µm in diameter at their widest point, tapered end of spirals about 75-80% of the maximum diameter; distance between regular spirals 8-12(-16) µm. Some filaments more loosely coiled, or even extended; these filaments increasing in frequency in older cultures. Both single and double false branching occasionally observed in more loosely coiled or extended filaments, but not in tightly spiraled filaments. False branching usually distant from the heterocytes. Sheath firm, usually colourless, occasionally golden to brown, thin in young cultures becoming thicker and lamellated in older cultures, 1-4 µm thick. Trichomes not to slightly constricted at the crosswalls, more commonly constricted in older cultures and in loosely coiled or extended filaments, 5.5-14.0 µm in diameter.

Cells mostly shorter than wide, occasionally quadratic, 2.0-7.2 µm long, without aerotopes, cell contents sometimes granular, especially in older cultures. Heterocytes both intercalary and basal within filaments, mostly single but occasionally double in intercalary position, rarely triple, spherical to oval, sometimes appressed on one side in basal position, light brown, 8-9 m in diameter, 4-9 µm long.

Created: 17 July 2006 by M.D. Guiry.

Last updated: 14 December 2017

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Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=129285

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 14 December 2017. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 19 April 2024

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