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STRUCTURE, LIFE HISTORY AND SYSTEMATICS OF RHOICOSPHENIA (BACILLARIOPHYTA). IV. CORRELATION OF SIZE REDUCTION WITH CHANGES IN VALVE MORPHOLOGY OF RH. GENUFLEXA 1
Author(s) -
Medlin Linda K.,
Fryxell Greta A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1984.00101.x
Subject(s) - biology , morphology (biology) , genus , systematics , taxon , population , zoology , evolutionary biology , taxonomy (biology) , botany , demography , sociology
Rhoicosphenia Grun. is a relatively isolated genus among the biraphid diatoms. Morphological changes in an isopolar member of the genus, Rh. genuflexa (Kütz.) Medlin, were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. The fully raphid valve showed changes in its flexure that could be correlated with size reduction during its life history from the initial cells to the smallest cells found in the population. Bands showed changes in number (from three to one) related to size reduction. Rh. genuflexa is morphologically similar to Rh. abbreviata (C. Ag.) Lange‐Bert. (=Rh. curvata (Kütz.) Grun.), although the two are distinct taxa. These observations support previous contentions that Rhoicosphenia is a natural taxonomic grouping.