Synonyms: Corallina rubens Linnaeus (1765) f. longifurca Zanardini (1843); Corallina longifurca Zanardini (1841) p. 63; Jania rubens f. longifurca Mazza (1909) p. 13.

VEGETATIVE FEATURES

Thallus habit: erect, bushy attached by a crustose base. Size: 3-6 (7)cm high. Branching: dichotomous, regular (A). Intergenicula: cylindrical, slightly compressed, becoming broader at the insertions of lateral branches (A), 0.6-1mm long, upper diameter 0.2-0.5mm, lower diameter 0.1-0.2mm. Genicula: cells 110-140µm long x 7-10µm in diameter. Colour of living specimen: from violet to grey. Colour of dried specimen: from violet to yellow white ivory.

Medulla: cells 40-60µm long (young branches: 7-20µm). Cortex: cells 20-25µm long. Epithallial cells: 3µm long x 2µm in diameter. Cell connections: cell fusions. Other features: trichocytes J-type.

Conceptacles: terminal (B), pedunculate, spheroidal, corniculated (C). Gametangial conceptacles: --- Tetra/bisporangial conceptacles: uniporate, terminal, pedunculate, spheroidal; 200-300µm in outside diameter. Phenology: from May to June.

Habitat: epilithic, often in the same sites of Jania rubens, or epiphytic on Cystoseira species and other algae. Bathymetric distribution: from surface to 20m deep. Geographic distribution (Babbini & Bressan 1997):

Alboran Sea (A): Spain, Morocco; Western Mediterranean Sea (African shores) (B): Algeria, Tunisia; Middle Western Mediterranean Sea (C): France; Italy; North Western Mediterranean Sea (D): Spain, France, Italy; North Adriatic Sea (E): Italy, Croatia; Middle Adriatic Sea (F): Italy, Croatia; South Adriatic Sea (G): Italy; South Eastern Mediterranean Sea (H): Malta, Libya; Middle Eastern Mediterranean Sea (L): Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria; North Eastern Mediterranean Sea (M): Greece, Turkey.