Phylogeny and morphology of the freshwater red alga N emalionopsis shawii ( R hodophyta, T horeales) from N epal

• Published in: Phycological research 2016-01, Vol.64 (1), p.11-18
• Main Authors: Necchi, Orlando, West, John A., Rai, Shiva K., Ganesan, E. K., Rossignolo, Natalia L., de Goër, Susan L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1322-0829; 1440-1835
• DOI: 10.1111/pre.12116

Phylogenetic relationships and morphological characters are presented for a population of N emalionopsis shawii Skuja collected from N epal. Molecular data (sequences of rbc L and cox 1) were generated and morphological characters were described in detail. The rbc L sequence analyses showed that specimens from N epal are most similar to N . shawii from I ndonesia and J apan and that these entities form a clade with high support (>95% bootstrap and 0.95 posterior probability). The cox 1 barcode sequence, however, only had 90.9–91.9% identity with specimens of N . shawii from H awaii. The rbc L sequence of the specimen from N epal was positioned in a clade having sequence identity of 99.3–99.7% with three samples: N . shawii from I ndonesia and two from J apan identified as N . tortuosa . The comparison of morphological characters of Nemalionopsis from N epal allowed unequivocal identification with N . shawii . Identifications from previous studies using molecular data were mistaken since most reports of N . shawii are actually of N . tortuosa or vice‐versa . This confusion of names presumably occurred because most specimens previously sequenced were from culture collections or from ‘ C hantransia’ stages. Small tufts of ‘ C hantransia’ stage were observed growing epiphytically on gametophytes and on the basal system. Carpogonia and spermatangia were fully described in specimens from N epal. Monosporangia were not observed, whereas carposporangia were unequivocally described for the first time in the genus. An unusual flat strap‐like basal system was observed, interpreted as an additional mode of maintenance in nature under unfavorable environmental conditions.