Diversity, life history, and ecology of Trentepohlia and Printzina (Trentepohliales, chlorophyta) in urban habitats in Western Ireland

Abstract

On the basis of field and culture investigations, five species of the genera Trentepohlia and Printzina were found to occur in urban habitats in western Ireland: Trentepohlia abietina (Flotow) Hansgirg, T. aurea (Linnaeus) Martius, T. iolithus (Linnaeus) Wallroth, T. cf. umbrina (Kützing) Bornet, and Printzina lagenifera (Hildebrandt) Thompson et Wujek. These species formed perennial populations on a variety of substrata. T. abietina occurred on bark of trees; T. cf. umbrina occurred on stone walls; and P. lagenifera grew on several substrata, mainly cement and asbestos sheeting. T. aurea and T. iolithus were found on old concrete and cement walls; in particular, the latter species formed characteristic, extensive, deep-red patches on many buildings. In culture, best growth and reproduction of these species were observed at 10 and 15°C, 16:8 h light:dark. Both in culture and in the field, reproduction took place by release of biflagellate swarmers behaving as asexual spores, germinating to produce new plants without any evidence of sexual fusion; release of biflagellate swarmers in the field was generally observed in all seasons throughout a whole annual cycle. Confirmation of the occurrence of sexual reproduction in Trentepohlia was not obtained.