OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF PAPENFUSSIELLA CALLITRICHA (PHAEOPHYCEAE, CHORDARIALES) IN CULTURE1

Abstract

ABSTRACTPapenfussiella callitricha (Rosenv.) Kylin from eastern Canada was studied in culture. Zoids from unilocular sporangia develop into microscopic, filamentous, dioecious gametophytes which produce isogametes in filament cells and few‐chambered plurilocular gametangia. Unfused gametes germinate to reproduce the gametophytes. Fusion takes place between a settled (“female”) and a motile (“male”) gamete. The zygote gives rise to a filamentous plethysmothallus that reproduces asexually by zoids formed in thallus cells and in few‐chambered plurilocular zoidangia. Erect macrothalli are produced on the plethysmothallus, beginning with the formation of upright filaments. Later on, these filaments become the terminal assimilators of the macrothalli. Further assimilatory filaments, rhizoids, and unilocular sporangia are produced in a branching region at the base of the terminal assimilator. Zoids from unilocular sporangia formed in culture germinate to reestablish the gametophyte phase. Chromosome counts yielded n = 19 ± 3 for the gametophytes, and 32 ± 6 for the sporophyte, both plethysmothallus and macrothallus.