Synonyms: Corallina granifera Ellis & Solander (1786) p. 120; Jania granifera Lamouroux (1812) p. 186; Corallina virgata Zanardini (1841) p. 82; Jania virgata Montagne (1849) p. 133.

VEGETATIVE FEATURES

Thallus habit: erect, bushy attached by a crustose basal disc. Size: 2-5cm high. Branching: pinnate, very irregular, sometimes whorled, lying on different planes (A); entangled branches. Distal branchlets pinnate. Intergenicula: cylindrical, 0.2-0.4mm long, 0.05-0.15mm in diameter (apex of intergenicula - 0.04-0.05mm in diameter – tapered towards apical end). Genicula: 15-105µm long. Colour of living specimen: violet red (rarely coral red). Colour of dried specimen: from white to yellow ivory.

Medulla: cells 15-25µm long. Cortex: cells 10-13µm long. Epithallial cells: rectangular, 5-10µm in diameter (B). Cell connections: cell fusions. Other features: trichocytes J-type.

Conceptacles: axial and terminal, pedunculate, generally corniculate, with articulated projections (horn-like) (C); urn-shaped, globoid, sometimes compressed. Gametangial conceptacles: --- Tetra/bisporangial conceptacles: uniporate (D) 300-500µm in diameter x 220-380µm high. Phenology: from June to September.

Habitat: epiphytic (particularly on Cladostephus, Cystoseira, Halopytis, Stipocaulon species), occurring also on rocks exposed to strong currents actions. Bathymetric distribution: sublittoral. Geographic distribution (Babbini & Bressan 1997):

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