ALBERT

Description: Seaweeds are important components of tropical reef systems. The present paper deals with the Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and noncoralline Rhodophyta collected by the first author in the Spermonde Archipelago, SW Sulawesi, Indonesia, during the Buginesia-III project (November 1988-November 1990). Additional collections from this area by Keblusek (July 1991-October 1991) were also studied and the results are incorporated in the present paper. The results of the present study are compared with those of the Siboga Expedition (1899-1900), of the Danish Expedition to the Kei Islands (1914-1916), and of the Snellius-II Expedition (1985). In total, 199 taxa (80 Chlorophyta belonging to 21 genera, 36 taxa of Phaeophyta belonging to 11 genera, 83 noncoralline Rhodophyta belonging to 40 genera, and about 35 taxa of coralline algae) were collected. Of these, 72 taxa are new records for Indonesia (17 Chlorophyta, 20 Phaeophyta, and 35 noncoralline Rhodophyta). Caulerpa buginense and Udotea flabellum f. longifolia are newly described. Keys to the genera, species, and forms are provided, and remarks on the economic potential of some of the seaweeds are included.

Description: In our paper on seaweeds of the Snellius-II expedition (Coppejans & Prud’homme van Reine, 1989) we suggested that the new species Rhipilia nigrescens had been described in Phycologia. Due to regulations of that journal and corroborated by the short spell between acceptance and publication in Blumea, the Latin description can no longer be expected to be published as suggested. To validate the name of the new species a Latin description and a designation of the holotype is published here.

Description: In the herbarium in Kiel the holotype of Sphacelaria paniculata was located. Australian material, known under the names Halopteris hordeacea (Harvey) Sauv., H. spicigera (Aresch.) Moore or H. gracilescens (J. Ag.) Womersl. has as correct name Halopteris paniculata (Suhr) P. v. R. comb. nov.

Description: The present study deals with the taxonomy of a family of the brown algal order Sphacelariales in Europe. The taxonomy of this order is much influenced by the works of Sauvageau as published between 1900 and 1914. A short survey of the work on Spacelariales by him and his phycological predecessors is given in the introduction. The order Sphacelariales is described and its nomenclatural history is given. Other paragraphs deal with distribution, morphology and the used descriptive terminology, ecology, variability and culture studies, reproduction and life-history, systematic position and classification. In the notes on morphology the history of the descriptive terminology is incorporated, as well as discussions on the correct use of this terminology. Most technical terms are also included in the glossary, located near the end of this book. In the sections on ‘Form range and cultures’ and on ‘Reproduction and life-history’ the methods used for unialgal cultures and methods for chromosome counts are discussed. Also a review of life-histories in Sphacelariales is incorporated, as well as a discussion on the criteria used for the distinction of taxa and the delimination of the order. A key to the families concludes the treatment of the order. The family Sphacelariaceae, which is the largest and most cosmopolitan family of the order, is treated in a similar way. The two genera in this family, the monotypic genus Sphacella and the complex genus Sphacelaria, which contains four subgenera, seven sections and 16 species in Europe, are also treated in comparable paragraphs. Keys to the taxa and to ecological growth-forms (ecads) are given. In the paragraph on relationship of genera, subgenera, sections and species, several approaches for the construction of a classification are mentioned. The phyletic-cladistic approach, based upon methods developed by Hennig (1950), is discussed in detail. One conclusion is that the genus Choristocarpus cannot be considered to belong to a monophyletic group together with the Sphacelariaceae. Further it can be concluded that the Sphacelariaceae all belong to one group with a monophyletic origin. The monotypic genera Battersia, Disphacella and Chaetopteris have to be included into the genus Sphacelaria. Sphacella, however, is maintained as a monotypic genus. For nomenclatural reasons Sphacelaria reticulata (formerly Disphacella reticulata) must be chosen as type-species of the genus Sphacelaria. The descriptions of family, genera and sections are usually short, but the descriptions of the species are comprehensive and contain a formal description and a list of dimensions. The paragraphs on distribution start with summaries of coastal regions where the species occur. Each summary is followed by an extract of the list of collections and relevant references. Distribution maps are added. Full lists of collections and references for all species are published separately. Important taxonomic conclusions occur in Sphacelaria reticulata (was Disphacella reticulata (Lyngb.) Sauv.), in S. radicans (ecad libera found in the Baltic), in S. nana (= S. britannica Sauv.) which include S. saxatilis and which is different from S. rigidula (= S. furcigera Kütz.), in S. plumigera (unattached growthform = ecad pinnata, found in the Baltic), in S. mirabilis (was Battersia mirabilis Reinke ex Batt.), in S. fusca (different from S. rigidula), in S. cirrosa (includes S. bipinnata (Kütz.) Sauv. and S. hystrix Suhr ex Reinke which are incorporated amongst the five different ecads of the species) and in S. sympodiocarpa (which cannot be incorporated into one of the described subgenera). Most details of morphology are depicted.

Description: In modern handbooks the development of plant systematica is given as occurring in four overlapping phases: the pioneer (or exploratory) phase, the consolidation phase, the biosystematic phase, and the encyclopaedic phase. In systematic phycology research is still largely in the pioneer phase, with scattered attempts to reach the second, third, or even fourth phase. In many cases in phycology the biosystematic phase has to precede the consolidation phase. Knowledge of algae (growing mainly in marine or freshwater environments, but also occurring in soils or snow and on rocks or trees) is quite scanty in most parts of the world, and even for taxa that are supposed to be well known, the information is often but fragmentary. The encyclopaedic phase is for most groups of algae very remote and probably it will never be attained. Research on algae connected with the Rijksherbarium reflects the phases of systematic phycology.

Description: This important book, written in somewhat baroque and not always clear English, provides a wealth of information for all those studying or working with Cyanoprokaryotes. That are the organisms usually known as Cyanobacteria or still just bluegreen algae. A modern book on identification, but only on the unicellular or colonial members, not on the important filamentous groups. Two parts will follow later. Although in the ‘Anschrift der Authoren’ it is indicated that Professor Anagnostidis has died, no further information is given about that sad event. The introduction is very important for users and reviewers. The editors printed in bold “Please, read this chapter” and they are right. Without reading this no-one would know that the book contains “a review of all Cyanoprokaryotic taxonomic units, registered and recognisable from European natural biotopes, including marine coasts.” And that “non-European species and species with vague taxonomic descriptions are listed under the appropriate genera.” The book was written for identification and standardisation of morphologically and ecologically distinguishable European Cyanoprokaryotes, that have been described from natural populations. The keys and taxonomic descriptions in the book permit identification of natural populations and some culture material; however, they are less suitable for identification of non-European specimens. Moreover, according to the authors, “identification of strains without previous knowledge of natural material needs to be studied with special care, because only a few Cyanoprokaryotes keep their typical form in culture.” The authors strongly dissuade the use of taxon names to include specimens or strains that deviate from features that are characteristic for “any higher taxon”. And they warn: “If the incorrect name is accepted, all the information about any given population or strain is a priori wrong.” And “Identification of any species is correct only if your material corresponds fully (in all characteristics, including ecology) with the description. The variability of species can be broader than described in the book, but you must be convinced of the taxonomic identity of your material.”

Description: The two published parts of the Desmid Flora of Austria are well-illustrated review volumes on a group of precious freshwater microalgae. Volume 1 contains a pretty, visual key to the genera, completed by figures of one or more characteristic species. In all keys of the separate genera many visual aids are included, resulting in userfriendly identification tools. In the taxonomic part of volume 1 the paragraphs on species and infraspecific taxa include the scientific name, an abbreviated reference to authors, a reference to the drawing given in this Flora, synonymy based on literature of Austrian desmids, a short description, and a note on distribution of the taxon in Austria, often together with some information on its environment. For the general classification a publication by Ruzicka is used. It is a pity, however, that a reference to that publication is lacking. In volume 2, a different system for coding of dimensions is introduced. Another change is the inclusion to references to international scientific literature, still without full citation of these works, however. Although most of the contents are painstaking precise, some slovenliness is apparent in the set-up of this Flora. In volume 2 some of the omissions in the list of references on occurrence of desmids in Austria are corrected, but still a list of general references is not included. Especially in relation to the incomplete citation of references that are used as a basis for some of the drawings, these omissions may cause legalistic debate.

Description: A survey of seaweeds was made in Eritrea in December 1995 and January 1996 on some islands of the Dahlak Archipelago and the surroundings of the port town of Massawa. During our study 101 specific and infraspecific taxa were identified, including 26 Chlorophyta, 20 Phaeophyta and 55 Rhodophyta. The survey resulted in 36 new records for Eritrea (11 Chlorophyta, 7 Phaeophyta and 18 Rhodophyta). Of these Eritrean records, 26 are new for the Red Sea (5 Chlorophyta, 4 Phaeophyta and 17 Rhodophyta). Comparison of records of seaweeds from localities in Eritrea to those from other localities in Eritrea as well as from other coasts of the western Indian Ocean have revealed that the regional distribution of seaweeds in the Red Sea is very patchy and that generally the area seems to be undersampled. The comparisons have also underscored the stressful seasonal environmental conditions for macroalgae in the southern Red Sea.

Description: Cultural experiments with Entophysalis deusta support Drouet and Daily’s concept of this species as a morphologically highly plastic taxon, showing forms traditionally identified as Entophysalis granulosa, Gloeocapsa crepidinum, Pleurocapsa fuliginosa, and Hyella caespitosa. These results are in accordance with observations on populations forming part of the ‘black zone’ of the upper intertidal belt. It is shown that Drouet and Daily’s taxonomic principles, leading to a broad and more natural concept of this species, are sounder than those underlying Geitler’s Cyanophyceae in which several entities included by them in Entophysalis deusta are treated as species.