A ustralian L aurencia majuscula ( R hodophyta, R hodomelaceae) and the B razilian L aurencia dendroidea are conspecific

Summary Morphological and molecular studies have been undertaken on two species of the red algal genus L aurencia   J . V . L amouroux: L aurencia majuscula ( H arvey) A . H . S . L ucas and L aurencia dendroidea   J . A gardh, both from their type localities. The phylogenetic position of these species was inferred by analysis of the chloroplast‐encoded rbc L gene sequences from 24 taxa. In all phylogenetic analyses, the A ustralian L aurencia majuscula and the B razilian L . dendroidea formed a well‐supported monophyletic clade within the L aurencia sensu stricto . This clade was divided into two subclades corresponding to each geographical region; however, the genetic divergence between A ustralian L . majuscula and B razilian L . dendroidea was only 0–1.35%. Examination of the type specimens and sequences of freshly collected samples of both L aurencia majuscula and L . dendroidea show the two to be conspecific despite their disjunct type localities.