Batrachospermum
Batrachospermum | |
---|---|
Batrachospermum gelatinosum | |
Scientific classification | |
(unranked): | Archaeplastida |
Division: | Rhodophyta |
Class: | Florideophyceae |
Order: | Batrachospermales |
Family: | Batrachospermaceae |
Genus: | Batrachospermum Roth 1797:36[1] |
Type species | |
Batrachospermum gelatinosum |
Batrachospermum is a
Name
The etymology of the scientific name (Greek: βάτραχος – frog, σπέρμα – seed) refers to its gelatinous appearance resembling frog spawn. The Polish name, żabirośl (frogseed) also allude to this appearance.
Systematics and variability
The genus Batrachospermum was established by
In older systems (e.g., Engler system), the genera Batrachospermum and Chantransia were classified under the family Helminthocladiaceae in the order Nemalionales.[5] Currently, the family Batrachospermaceae and the order Batrachospermales are recognized. According to some systematic proposals, this order is monotypic, and families distinguished within it, such as Lemaneaceae, should be synonymized with Batrachospermaceae.[6]
Depending on the systematic approach, there are from several dozen to several hundred species within the genus.
- Acarposporophytum (Batrachospermum brasiliense)
- Aristata (Batrachospermum cayennense)
- Batrachospermum (Batrachospermum gelatinosum)
- Gonimopropagulum (Batrachospermum breutelli)
- Helminthoidea (Batrachospermum arcuatum, Batrachospermum boryanum, Batrachospermum confusum, Batrachospermum heterocorticum, Batrachospermum involutum)
- Macrospora (Batrachospermum macrosporum)
- Setacea (Batrachospermum atrum, Batrachospermum puiggarianum)
- Turfosa (Batrachospermum turfosum)
- Virescentia (Batrachospermum elegans, Batrachospermum helminthosum)
Additionally, there is a provisionally designated Australasian group, which is paraphyletic and from which the genera Nothocladus and Petrohua, as well as the Setacea section (Batrachospermum antipodites, Batrachospermum campyloclonum, Batrachospermum discors, Batrachospermum kraftii, Batrachospermum pseudogelatinosum, Batrachospermum theaquum, Batrachospermum wattsii), originate.
After the separation of the genus Kumanoa, the following species formerly classified under Batrachospermum are transferred to this genus: B. australicum (Kumanoa australica), B. breviarticulatum (Kumanoa breviarticulata), B. cipoense (Kumanoa cipoensis), B. deminutum (Kumanoa deminuta), B. equisetoideum (Kumanoa equisetoidea), B. globosporum (Kumanoa globospora), B. gracillimum (Kumanoa gracillima), B. intortum (Kumanoa intorta), B. louisianae (Kumanoa louisianae), B. nodiflorum (Kumanoa nodiflora), B. procarpum (Kumanoa procarpa), B. spermatiophorum (Kumanoa spermatiophora), B. virgatodecaisneanum (Kumanoa virgatodecaisneana), B. vittatum (Kumanoa vittata).
After considering almost all of these changes, in the AlgaeBase system, in addition to those mentioned above, the following species were verified as of Autumn 2011 (others appearing in publications are either considered synonyms of others or not yet verified):[4]
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One of the more commonly reported species in publications, B. moniliforme, is considered a synonym of B. gelatinosum in this system.
Morphology
Habit
The thallus is filamentous, covered with a slippery, gelatinous sheath, with mucilage primarily composed of oligosaccharides.[4] The degree of gelatinosity of the thallus varies between species. Species occurring in swifter currents typically have a more compact form, while those in slower currents have a looser form.[9]
The
The color varies, ranging from brownish, olive, purple, gray to bluish-green.[4]
The sporophyte stage is crustose, consisting of large basal cells from which poorly branched filaments grow upwards.[4]
Anatomy
The cells of the main filament are elongated (150–200 μm) in shape of a cylinder. The cells of the cortical filaments are lens-shaped, ellipsoidal, up to 30 μm in length.[10] Each cell contains several ribbon-shaped chloroplasts without pyrenoids. The chloroplasts contain a single fragmented thylakoid.[4] Among the metabolites, in addition to substances typical for all red algae (such as red algal starch), trehalose is present.[11] The number of chromosomes (n) varies, depending on the species, ranging from 2 to 22.[4]
Structures for propagation
Several species produce monospores, but usually carpospores are formed. Spermatangia (male gametangia) are spherical (4–8 μm in diameter) and colorless, usually clustered at the end of filaments, sometimes also on branches carrying carpogonia. Male gametes are non-motile gametangia. Female gametes – carpogonia – are essentially equivalent to oogonia. The hair of the carpogonium is club-shaped.[12] Carposporophytes are roughly spherical, formed by gonimoblasts, with carposporangia at the tips (lacking cystocarp).[12] In Batrachospermum breutelli, the carposporophyte produces multicellular diaspores that detach.[13] Spores do not have any endosporic features.[14]
Ecology
In defining environmental requirements, taxonomic controversies pose a certain difficulty. It happens that a particular species is considered by ecologists as an indicator of a certain environmental condition, while another species is considered an indicator of a different condition. However, both of these species may turn out to be synonymous to each other as a result of molecular studies.
Geographical distribution
The genus is freshwater and cosmopolitan. Since red algae are mostly found in saltwater environments, in some regions, representatives of Batrachospermum are the most common riverine red algae. This is the case with Batrachospermum gelatinosum, which was found in 13% of samples collected from North American streams.[15] In the streams of the upper São Francisco basin in Brazil, various species of Batrachospermum, especially in the thallus stage, are one of the most common taxonomic groups of macroalgae.[16] In Poland, occurrences are scattered throughout the country, with more frequent sightings in the Pomerania region and in the Silesian-Lesser Poland Uplands.[10]
Some species, such as B. gelatinosum, are found on all continents (except
Habitat
Species of Batrachospermum inhabit the
Thallus and gametophyte stages can occur in different habitat conditions.[9] It happens that only one of these generations is observed in certain regions.[2]
Interspecies interactions
The thalli of Batrachospermum are a food source for aquatic invertebrates, including amphipods, snails, and aquatic insect larvae.[4] In some studies, they have been found in the gut content of almost half of the examined individuals.[14]
The silk-like secretions that bind the threads of Batrachospermum are used to build shelters by some chironomidic larvae. Shelters made from different species of Batrachospermum have slightly different structures.[20]
The gelatinous sheath serves as a habitat for periphytic algae, such as Chrysodesmis gloeophila.[21] Some algae, such as the red algae Balbiania and Sirodotia, can also grow directly on the gelatinous thalli of Batrachospermum.[19]
Life cycle
The Batrachospermum, like other red algae, undergoes an
The Chantransia stage is annual. Chantransia can produce monospores or, through
For many years, it was believed that the only diploid stage in the development of Batrachospermum is the zygote, which immediately undergoes meiosis, making the carposporophyte
Uses
Unlike some marine red algae, Batrachospermum is not used in cooking. There are few reports of the anti-inflammatory properties of B. atrum used in folk medicine at the foothills of the Himalayas (Arunachal Pradesh).[28]
Due to its environmental requirements, representatives of this genus found in Poland are considered when determining the River Macrophyte Index, with values of W=6 (indicating a preference for mesotrophic waters) and L=2 (indicating an average range of ecological tolerance).[29]
References
- ^ a b Roth, Albrecht Wilhelm (1797). Bemerkungen über das Studium der cryptogamischen Wassergewächse (in German). Hanower: Gebrüder Hahn. pp. 6–109, 351–506.
- ^ .
- ^ de Candolle, Augustin Pyramus (1801). "Extrait d'un rapport sur les conferves". Bulletin des Sciences par la Société Philomathique de Paris 3 (in French): 17–21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Guiry, G. M.; Guiry, M. D. (2012). "Batrachospermum Roth, 1797: 36". www.algaebase.org. Galway: National University of Ireland. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ Engler, Adolf (1903). Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien (in German) (3 ed.). Berlin: Verlag von Gebrüder Borntraeger. p. 20.
- ^ ISSN 0022-3646.
- ^ "Results of INA query". Index Nominum Algarum, algae, seaweeds, algal nomenclature, algal taxonomy, Paul Silva, phycology, Center for Phycological Documentation. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ ISSN 0031-8884.
- ^ ISSN 1322-0829.
- ^ ISBN 978-83-61227-32-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-83-229-0372-8.
- ^ a b c d Harder, Richard (1967). "Systematyka". In Strasburger, Eduard (ed.). Botanika: podręcznik dla szkół wyższych (in Polish) (2 ed.). Warsaw: PWRiL. pp. 580–585.
- ISSN 0031-8884.
- ^ ISSN 1322-0829.
- ISSN 0022-3646.
- ^ ISSN 1519-6984.
- ISSN 1322-0829.
- ^ ISBN 978-83-01-11320-9.
- ^ ISSN 1730-413X.
- ISSN 0022-3646.
- ^ Guiry, G. M.; Guiry, M. D. (2012). "Chrysodesmis Starmach, 1970: 192". www.algaebase.org. Galway: National University of Ireland. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ISSN 0007-1617.
- ISSN 0018-8158.
- ^ a b von Stosch, H. A.; Theil, Gisela (1979). "A New Mode of Life History in the Freshwater Red Algal Genus Batrachospermum". American Journal of Botany. 66 (1): 105–107.
- ISBN 978-0-07-451928-8.
- ISBN 978-90-6193-026-6.
- ISBN 978-83-01-13945-2.
- .
- ISBN 978-83-61320-81-4.