CARATTERI VEGETATIVI

Thallus habit: encrusting, adherent, lobed. Entire, white rimmed margin; edge is mistaken with substratum. Size: diameter up to 2mm. Colour of living specimen: pink to red-violet. Colour of dried specimen: whitish or mauve grey.

Basal filaments: unilayered, cells: 9-20µm long x 4-20µm in diameter. Epithallial cells: rounded. Cell connections: cell fusions. Other features: spore germination disc (B) with 4 central cells and 8 pericentral cells (radial symmetry). Terminal trichocytes (B), single or grouped (7-14) in circumscribed areas (A-C) more or less evident, circular (30-90µm diameter).

Gametangial conceptacles: spermatangial conceptacles domed. Carpogonial conceptacles slightly raised, chambers elliptical. Tetra/bisporangial conceptacles: uniporate, slightly raised, (95) 105-130 (155)µm in diameter. Phenology: ---

Habitat: species epiphytic on seagrasses and/or other algae, epilithic or on shells when living in depth. Bathymetric distribution: midlittoral to sublittoral. Recorded up to 30m deep. Geographic distribution (Babbini & Bressan 1997):

Alboran Sea (A): Spain; Middle Western Mediterranean Sea (C): Italy; North Western Mediterranean Sea (D): France, Italy; North Adriatic Sea (E): Italy, Slovenia; South Eastern Mediterranean Sea (H): Malta.