An investigation of members of the tribe Ceramieae (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta) occurring on both the mediterranean and atlantic shores of Morocco

Abstract

A taxonomic study was recently carried out on species of the tribe Ceramieae (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta), following an evaluation of previously published records and on the basis of field and laboratory investigations. In Morocco, the tribe is represented by 5 genera: Ceramium (21 taxa at specific and infraspecific levels), Gayliella (3 species), and by one species each of Centroceras, Corallophila and Microcladia. Among these, there are five new records for Morocco: Centroceras gasparrinii, Ceramium botryocarpum, Ceramium cingulatum, Ceramium echionotum var. mediterraneum, and Gayliella taylorii. The report of C. echionotum var. mediterraneum from the Atlantic coast of Morocco is one of the rare records from outside the Mediterranean. Ceramium ciliatum var. robustum and Ceramium codii are recorded for the first time from the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Centroceras clavulatum is excluded from Moroccan flora having been misidentified for C. gasparrinii. This paper summarizes the taxonomic characters of these species with images and presents a key for their identification. This report is the first detailed record of the species of the tribe Ceramieae for Morocco. As a result, the total number of taxa at both specific and infraspecific levels accepted in the tribe Ceramieae for Morocco, under current taxonomy and nomenclature, is 27.