Morphology and taxonomy of five Cephaleuros species (Trentepohliaceae, Chlorophyta) from Japan, including three new species

Abstract

Suto Y. and Ohtani S. 2009. Morphology and taxonomy of five Cephaleuros species (Trentepohliaceae, Chlorophyta) from Japan, including three new species. Phycologia 48: 213–236. DOI: 10.2216/07-31.1Five species of the genus Cephaleuros, including three new species, were collected on leaves, green twigs, and fruits of various woody plants from Japan. The three new species grow subcuticularly. Cephaleuros aucubae sp. nov. forms thalli in a thin layer or a raised spot showing open-filamentous growth, growing only on Aucuba japonica. Cephaleuros japonicus sp. nov. forms more or less a circular disk with pseudoparenchymatous growth in the central portion and open-filamentous growth in the marginal portion. It is one of the most common species in Japan, growing frequently on Camellia japonica, Cleyera japonica, Eurya japonica, and Symplocos lucida. Cephaleuros microcellularis sp. nov. forms a circular raised disk with pseudoparenchymatous growth, growing on Persea japonica and Symplocos lucida. Small filamentous and gametic cells and concentric zonal rings of gametangia and setae characterize the species. We present the first report of Cephaleuros biolophus in Japan. This species is characterized by subcuticular, subepidermal, and intramatrical growth, growing frequently on Castanopsis cupsidata var. sieboldii, Myrica rubra, and Quercus spp. The sporangiophores which project from the lower leaf surface, produce head cells and sporangiate-laterals terminally and laterally. Cephaleuros virescens, which so far has been the only known species in Japan, grows subcuticularly and forms a circular raised disk with pseoudoparenchymatous growth, inhabiting frequently Magnolia grandiflora and Persea thunbergii.