Taxonomic Study of Dictyota dichotoma (Phaeophyta) based on Morphological Variations of Four Local Populations from Korea

Algae > Volume 12(2); 1997 > Article

Algae 1997;12(2): 83-91.

Wook jae Lee, Kwang Young Kim

Department of Biology, Seoul National University, Department of Oceanography, Chunnam National University

ABSTRACT

Four populations of Dictyota dichotoma on the coasts of Korea were selected for examination on gross morphology. 147 plants were used for the analysis of morphological variation based on twenty morphological characters. Thirty eight sporophytes were selected from four populations for cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results showed that three characters, internode length, internode width and branching angle, which were employed as main characters of D. dichotoma, were much variable among for populations The ratio of internode length to internode width made Kampo population distinguished from others. Cluster analysis also showed that Gyokpo-Samcheonpo-Jindo population made one group on 0.19 average taxonomic distance level. However, the principal component analysis showed that Gyokpo population was distinguished from Samcheonpo and Jindo population by plant hight, internode length and width.

Key words: cluster analysis, Dictyota dichotoma, morphological variation, PCA