Systematic Studies of Ceramium kondoi (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta) in the Field and in Culture

Algae > Volume 8(2); 1993 > Article

Algae 1993;8(2): 179-189.

Sung-Min Boo, Hwan-Su Yoon

Department of Biology, Chungnam National University

ABSTRACT

Structure and reproduction of Ceramium kondoi Yendo was investigatd in Oeyondo Island on the Yellow Sea of Korea and under laboratory conditions. Type materials in SAP were also examined. C. kondoi plants showed obvious seasonal differences in growth and reproduction in the study area. The mean length was a maximum of 14.6±3.0 cm in May, when plants were mature with tetrasporangia or sexual reproductive organs, but without occurrence of plants between August and November. Cultured isolates from two different locations showed a Polysiphonia-type life history, similar morphologies and interfertility. Detailed examination of structure and reproduction of materials in the field and in herbarium showed variation within the range obtained in culture. However, one important distinguishing feature of C. kondoi, trichotomous ramification, occurred at a frequency of 23.6±18.8% in the field, but without trichotomy in culture. Two Ceramium species from France, which were tentatively referred to C. nodulosum (Lightfoot) Ducluzeau and C. fruticulousm Kutzing, were grown through their life cycles. Attempted crosses between the two French were negative and neither were interfertile with C. kondoi.

Key words: Ceramiaceae, Ceramium kondoi, crossability, life history, phenology, Rhodophyta, reproduction, structure, systematics