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Australian Systematic Botany Australian Systematic Botany Society
Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of plants
RESEARCH ARTICLE

A revision of Chara sect. Protochara, comb. et stat. nov. (Characeae: Charophyceae)

Michelle T. Casanova A B D and Kenneth G. Karol C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Vic. 3141, Australia.

B Centre for Environmental Management, University of Ballarat, Mt Helen, Vic. 3350, Australia.

C New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA.

D Corresponding author. Present address: 273 Casanova Road, Westmere, Vic. 3351, Australia. Email: amcnova@netconnect.com.au

Australian Systematic Botany 27(1) 23-27 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB13016
Submitted: 2 April 2013  Accepted: 15 April 2014   Published: 30 June 2014

Abstract

A revision of a group of ecorticate species of Chara is presented, on the basis of fresh, pressed and spirit-preserved material. The following seven species are recognised, characterised by a very simple morphology, with few or inconspicuous accessory cells (cortication, stipulodes, bract cells, bracteoles) and large gametangia: Chara australis R.Br., C. lucida (A.Braun) Casanova & Karol comb et. stat. nov., C. porteri Casanova, sp. nov., C. protocharoides Casanova & Karol, nom. nov. (=Protochara australis Womersley & Ophel) and C. stuartiana (Kütz.) Casanova & Karol comb. et. stat. nov. from Australia, and C. corallina Klein ex Willd. and C. wallichii A.Braun from Asia. A new section, Chara subg. Charopsis sect. Protochara (Womersley & Ophel) Casanova & Karol, comb. et stat. nov., is erected to accommodate these taxa, formerly placed in sect. Charopsis.

Additional keywords: Chara australis, Chara stuartiana, Chara lucida, Chara protocharoides, Chara porteri, Protochara, systematics, Tolypellopsis.


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