On a new cytological race of schizomeris leibleinii K�tz

Abstract

Schizomeris leibleinii Kutz was collected from Dehra Dun as well as from Varanasi and the observations on its morphology, asexual reproduction and cytology were made by using material from nature and in culture. Cultural studies have revealed some interesting features such as occasional branching of uniseriate as well as multiseriate filaments and extensive development of the holdfast lobes into uniseriate or multiseriate filaments which may sometimes be branched. The chromosome number for the present alga has been determined to be 14, which differs from three earlier chromosome numbers reported for the same species by previous workers. Besides differing in chromosome number, it also differs significantly in its karyotype as compared with others. Thus this alga is considered to be a new chromosomal race of S. leibleinii. The present observations which have been discussed in the light of the recent work of Campbell & Sarafis (1972) who proposed a merger of Schizomeris with Stigeoclonium tenue, do not seem to favour such a merger.