Graziella Rodondi

A Mediterranean population of Spongites fruticulosus (Rhodophyta, Corallinales), the type species of Spongites, and the taxonomic status of S. stalactitica and S. racemosa

D. Basso and G. Rodondi. 2006. A Mediterranean population of Spongites fruticulosus (Rhodophyta, Corallinales), the type species of Spongites, and the taxonomic status of S. stalactitica and S. racemosa.Phycologia 45: 403–416. DOI: 10.2216/04-93.1 Tetrasporangial male and female/carposporangial plants of a Mediterranean population of Spongites fruticulosus are described and compared with the type material of S. fruticulosus, Spongites racemosa and Spongites stalactitica. The three species were established by Kützing on the basis of Mediterranean collections. The type material of S. fruticulosus is a rhodolith composed of a tetrasporangial plant possessing uniporate conceptacles, multistratose noncoaxial hypothallium and ovoid epithallial cells, growing on another unidentified sterile coralline with different vegetative characters. Spongites fruticulosus is lectotypified here with the tetrasporangial plant. The original material of S. racemosa represents a male plant of Neogoniolithon, here identified as Neogoniolithon racemosum (Kützing)comb. nov. The type material of S. stalactitica is a rhodolith composed of a mixture of two species belonging to different genera: one, here selected as lectotype of S. stalactitica, is a female plant regarded as conspecific with S. fruticulosus. The second is the tetrasporophyte of a Neogoniolithon species. Detailed morphological-anatomical accounts of the species are presented, and their features are documented and discussed. The comparison between the Mediterranean types and new collections and the Australian population of S. fruticulosus revealed that Mediterranean plants have smaller sexual and asexual conceptacles and lack trichocytes. However, overlap in conceptacle dimensions and the rarity of trichocytes in the Australian specimens do not allow us to separate the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific populations into different species at this time.

A comparative study between Lithothamnion minervae and the type material of Millepora fasciculata (Corallinales, Rhodophyta)

Abstract Lithothamnion minervae is a crustose coralline alga recognized as a common rhodolith-forming species in the western Mediterranean basin. The species was erected in order to give a correct name and an unequivocal definition to the coralline mjsidentified for a long time as Lithothamnion fruticulosum. Details of the plant, such as the epithallial cells and the tetrasporangial or bisporangial and uniporate conceptacles are described on recently collected samples. It is shown that the two plants in the original collection of Millepora fasciculata belong to different taxa, and therefore a - previous lectotypification (Woelkerling in Woelkerling & Lamy 1998) is superseded. The smaller of the two plants, which belongs to an undescribed species of Clalhromorphum, is selected here as the new lectotype of M. fasciculata. The larger plant in the collection belongs to a species of Lithothamnion; it differs from L. minervae in having a smaller range of chamber diameters of multiporate conceptacles, embedded multiporate conceptacles filled with palisade cells and smaller perithallial cells.

A re-description of Lithothamnion crispatum and the status of Lithothamnion superpositum (Rhodophyta, Corallinales)

Basso D., Rodondi G. and Bressan G. 2011. A re-description of Lithothamnion crispatum and the status of Lithothamnion superpositum (Rhodophyta, Corallinales). Phycologia 50: 144–155. DOI: 10.2216/10-20.1 After re-examination of the original Haucks collection, a buried, empty multiporate tetrasporangial conceptacle was detected in the lectotype material of Lithothamnion crispatum. The morphology and anatomy of the type material were compared to freshly collected representative plants from the Mediterranean. In L. crispatum, the five to seven rosette cells surrounding each pore of the tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof are larger than the normal epithallial cells and undergo degeneration. As a consequence of the disintegration of the outermost cells in filaments surrounding the pore canals, the tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roofs appear pitted with depressions, each one hosting a pore and the surrounding rosette cells. A previous revision of the type material of Lithothamnion superpositum from South Africa showed this same tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof structure and development, and corresponding vegetative and reproductive characters. These taxa are thus conspecific; therefore, L. superpositum is a younger heterotypic synonym of L. crispatum, the latter having nomenclatural priority. While the type specimen lacked gametangial plants, these are described for representative freshly collected material and found to be dioecious.

3-D distribution of nongeniculate corallinales: a case study from a reef crest of South Sinai (Red Sea, Egypt)

An innovative technique for the estimation of species and growth-form abundance of coralline algae, including information on their vitality, was adopted on the reef crest of Ras Nosrani and Coral Bay, South Sinai. Data of coralline abundance from visual census and collection of voucher specimens were plotted on a 3-D sketched representation of the horizontal and vertical planes of the reef crest and of its crannies. Coralline dominance at the two investigated sites was not significantly different, with values ranging from 8.55 and 10.06% on the vertical plane and from 5.3 to 7.17% on the horizontal plane. About one-third of total corallines of the South Sinai reef crest was located in crannies, where the algae are completely overlooked by routine field surveys. Pink to violet, healthy corallines with encrusting growth-form, mainly belonging to Hydrolithon onkodes and Neogoniolithon, with subordinate fruticose Lithophyllum kotschyanum dominated the reef crest at both sites. The fruticose growth form, usually associated with L.kotschyanum, was more common in the horizontal than in the vertical plane. Purple, healthy, encrusting Sporolithon uncommonly occurred. Whitish, gray or green unhealthy or dead corallines were more common on the horizontal plane at both sites, possibly resulting from excessive solar radiation.

Microbes in deep-sea anoxic basins

Abstract Biological studies on the anoxic basins of the Eastern Mediterranean started after the discovery of gelatinous matter of organic origin. The laminar gelatinous matter was observed within the cores containing anoxic sediments obtained during oceanographic expeditions for geological study of the Mediterranean Ridge. Microbiological and ultrastructural investigations were carried out on core sediment samples and on the overlying water. The organic nature of the mucilaginous pellicles found in the cores and their relation with numerous microbic forms present in all the samples were demonstrated. Viable microorganisms, prevalently Gram negative and aerobic as well as facultative anaerobes, were found in the water samples. Different microbic forms were isolated in pure culture : a vibrio ( Nitrosovibrio spp.), a coccus ( Staphylococcus spp.) and some rods of the family Pseudomonadaceae . In addition, laminar formations were observed in growth medium of mixed cultures that could be interpreted as the first stages of the mucilaginous pellicles seen in the cores.

Trichocytes in Lithophyllum kotschyanum and Lithophyllum spp. (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from the NW Indian Ocean

The current diagnosis of the genus Lithophyllum includes absent or rare trichocyte occurrence. After examining holotype material, single trichocytes have been revealed to occur abundantly in Lithophyllum kotschyanum Unger, and in freshly collected specimens of Lithophyllum spp. from the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Socotra Island (Yemen). Trichocyte occurrence is not considered a diagnostic character at specific or supraspecific levels in the Lithophylloideae, and the ecological significance of trichocyte formation is discussed. The generitype species, L. incrustans Philippi, does not show trichocytes nor do many other Lithophyllum species from diverse geographic localities, but the presence of abundant trichocytes in other congeneric taxa requires emendation of the genus diagnosis. Therefore, the diagnosis of Lithophyllum is here emended by eliminating the adjective “rare” in the sentence concerning trichocyte occurrence, as follows: “Trichocytes present or absent, if present occurring singly.”

The genus Drosera L. in northern Italy: Pollen morphology as a taxonomic tool

The pollen morphology of Drosera L. belonging to the Italian flora was studied by investigating alpine populations of D. intermedia, D. rotundifolia, D. anglica, and a natural hybrid, D. x obovata. Studies were carried out on fresh material by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Features of the distal face seem to represent an important diagnostic element. A pollen key, based on micro-morphological data, is presented.

Revision of Corallinaceae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta): recognizing Dawsoniolithon gen. nov., Parvicellularium gen. nov. and Chamberlainoideae subfam. nov. containing Chamberlainium gen. nov. and Pneophyllum

A multi‐gene (SSU, LSU, psbA, and COI) molecular phylogeny of the family Corallinaceae (excluding the subfamilies Lithophylloideae and Corallinoideae) showed a paraphyletic grouping of six monophyletic clades. Pneophyllum and Spongites were reassessed and recircumscribed using DNA sequence data integrated with morpho‐anatomical comparisons of type material and recently collected specimens. We propose Chamberlainoideae subfam. nov., including the type genus Chamberlainium gen. nov., with C. tumidum comb. nov. as the generitype, and Pneophyllum. Chamberlainium is established to include several taxa previously ascribed to Spongites, the generitype of which currently resides in Neogoniolithoideae. Additionally we propose two new genera, Dawsoniolithon gen. nov. (Metagoniolithoideae), with D. conicum comb. nov. as the generitype and Parvicellularium gen. nov. (subfamily incertae sedis), with P. leonardi sp. nov. as the generitype. Chamberlainoideae has no diagnostic morpho‐anatomical features that enable one to assign specimens to it without DNA sequence data, and it is the first subfamily to possess both Type 1 (Chamberlainium) and Type 2 (Pneophyllum) tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof development. Two characters distinguish Chamberlainium from Spongites: tetra/biasporangial conceptacle chamber diameter (<300 μm in Chamberlainium vs. >300 μm in Spongites) and tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof thickness (<8 cells in Chamberlainium vs. >8 cells in Spongites). Two characters also distinguish Pneophyllum from Dawsoniolithon: tetra/bisporangial conceptacle roof thickness (<8 cells in Pneophyllum vs. >8 cells in Dawsoniolithon) and thallus construction (dimerous in Pneophyllum vs. monomerous in Dawsoniolithon).

Presenza di batteri in bacini anossici del Mediterraneo orientale: indagini preliminari

The finding of mucilaginous laminae in the core samples of sediment taken in the Bannock basin triggered a series of studies on the biological components of the anoxic basins of the Eastern Mediterranean. The studies were carried out on samples of sediment and overlying water. Before fixation and embedding by the electron microscopy techniques, cytochemical reactions were done on the collected material to reveal the chemical nature of the laminae and their relation with the biological component. Numerous microorganisms were observed in all the samples. It was also seen that, whereas in the sediment there was continuity between bacteria and laminae, this did not appear in the water. Microbiological investigations revealed the presence of viable microbial forms, aerobic as well as facultative anaerobic, in the different water samples. Some microorganisms were isolated in pure culture: a vibrio (Nitrosovibrio), a rod (Pseudomonadaceo), and a coccus (Staphylococcus). Test are being carried out to identify such microorganisms. The presence of coccoid forms was also revealed at the electron microscope in untreated water samples from the Urania basin. It was observed the presence, in the medium of some mixed cultures, of laminar formations that could be interpreted as the first stages of the mucilaginous sheets observed electron microscopy.RiassuntoIl rinvenimento di lamine mucillaginose nelle carote di sedimenti prelevati nel bacino Bannock, ha dato l’awio ad una série di indagini sulla componente biologica dei bacini anossici del Mcditerraneo orientale. Gli studi sono stati condotti su campioni di sedimento e della colonna d’acqua ad esso sovrastante. Sui campioni fissati e inclusi secondo le tecniche della microscopia elettronica, sono state condotte reazioni citochimiche per evidenziare la natura chimica delle lamine e i rapporti fra queste e la componente biologica. In tutti i campioni indagati si è osservata la presenza di numerose forme microbiche. E stato inoltre possibile osservare che, mentre nei sedimenti è evidente un rapporto di continuité fra batteri e lamine, cio non accade nelle acque, ove peraltro si ritrovano solo frammenti di queste. Le indagini microbiologiche hanno evidenziato, nei diversi campioni, la presenza di forme microbiche vitali sia aérobie che anaerobie facultative. Si sono isolati alcuni microorganismi in coltura pura, un vibrione (Nitrosovibrio), un bastoncino (Pseudomonadacea) e un cocco (Staphylococcus), per i quali sono in corso le prove di identiricazione. La presenza di forme coccoidi era stata evidenziata anche tramite la microscopia elettronica nei campioni di acqua tal quale provenienti dal bacino Urania. Si è rilevata la presenza, nei brodi di alcune colture miste, di formazioni laminari che potrebbero essere interpretate come i primi stadi di quelle Iamine mucillaginose osservate mediante microscopia elettronica.

Phytochemistry of European Primula species

The genus Primula is the largest among the Primulaceae and is widespread mainly in the cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Since the beginning of the Twentieth century, several studies on the phytochemical composition of different species of Primula have been carried out. The main constituents examined were tissue and epicuticular flavonoids and saponins, which are of therapeutic significance. Only in recent years studies of the volatiles emitted by leaves and flowers have been carried out as well, but they are restricted to a small number of species. Only a few authors have documented the morphology and function of glandular trichomes in relation to the production of flavonoids and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The use of Primula in folk medicine is described in the literature. Investigation of the biological and pharmacological activities of Primula are reported. This study aims at providing a collection of publications on the genus Primula along with a critical revision of literature data. It focuses on the possible taxonomic significance of the secondary metabolites and on their ecological role as attractors for pollinators and deterrents against herbivores and parasites, in order to build the base for further studies.