Tapinothrix clintonii sp. nov. (Pseudanabaenaceae, Cyanobacteria), a new species at the nexus of five genera

Abstract

A new species was isolated and characterized from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This taxon shares morphological characteristics with five different genera, Ammatoidea, Homoeothrix, Leptolyngbya, Phormidiochaete, and Tapinothrix. An argument could be made to place it in any of these genera, however, we consider the most taxonomically correct genus for our pseudanabaenalean species to be Tapinothrix, and we accordingly describe it as T. clintonii sp. nov. Phylogenetically, the taxon is closest to Leptolyngbya sensu stricto, but it has very distinctive morphology and 16S-23S ITS sequence and secondary structure that support our conclusion to recognize Tapinothrix as a genus separate from Leptolyngbya. © Czech Phycological Society (2011).