Culture studies of Pacific coast Phaeophyceae

Abstract

Syringoderma abyssicola, the little known type species of an apparently dictyotalean genus, is reported on after field and culture observations. Fungal infestations of the genus Eurychasma produce conspicuous sporangia which give the appearance of reproductive structures of the alga itself, and perhaps SETCHELL and GARDNER observed these when they figured « aplanosporangia » for this species. Sporangia belonging to the alga itself have not been seen. The genus may be better placed in the Sphacelariales than with the Dictyotales. Coilodesme bulligera and C. fucicola (Punctariaceae) both demonstrated in culture direct development of new saccate thalli from spores of unilocular sporangia. In Coilodesme califomica, Saundersella simplex, and Halorhipis winstonii plethysmothalli which repeated themselves were obtained. These microscopic phases formed plurilocular and unilocular organs in C. califonica and S. simplex. The alga that has been called Stictyosiphon tortilis in California and Washington lacks true hairs and seems to be wrongly placed in this genus. Recently published data on the Scytosiphonaceae is reviewed. © 1972 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.