Novel alpine algae for New Zealand: Klebsormidiales

Abstract

The alpine zone of Mt Philistine, Arthur's Pass National Park, is home to at least three species of algae in the Klebsormidiales. Klebsormidium dissectum was described from the site previously. A distinctive filamentous species, Klebsormidium crenulatum, has now been found that is larger than other New Zealand strains and is a new record for New Zealand. A unicellular species, Interfilum terricola, is also described as another new record for New Zealand. Phylogenetic analyses of the rbcL gene and the ITS-1-5.8S-ITS2 region show that New Zealand Klebsormidium is not monophyletic. The very close relationship between New Zealand and Belgian I. terricola illustrates the readiness with which transoceanic dispersal must occur in this genus. Our analyses of individual and concatenated genes suggest the paraphyly of the genus Klebsormidium, that the ancestral condition of the genus may have been the larger form, and that the incorporation of Klebsormidium into Interfilum is likely in the future, when more knowledge of diversity and relationships has accumulated.