Chara behriana F. Muell. ex Casanova & Karol 2023, comb. nov., stat. nov.

• Main Authors: Casanova, Michelle T., Karol, Kenneth G.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2023
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Plantae; Charophyta; Charophyceae; Charales; Characeae; Chara; Chara behriana; Chara contraria
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10979063; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B187C6FFD1FFBA1E7DCB3DFD13F1D8

Chara behriana (A.Braun) F.Muell. ex Casanova & Karol, comb. nov., stat. nov. Chara contraria var. behriana A.Braun ex F.Muell., Linnaea 25: 709 (1853). Type : In fontis vallis subsalsis Salts Gully prope Bethanien , South Australia, 1848, F. von Mueller s.n. [possibly with H. H.Behr ] (holo: MEL!) . ‘ Chara behriana’: F.Muell. herb., ined. [ Chara vulgaris var. gymnophylla auct. non (A.Braun) Nyman: R.D.Wood, Nova Hedwigia 22: 14–16 (1971) .] Monoecious. Plants up to 120 mm high, usually with thick calcium carbonate deposition on the thallus. Axes 600–700 µm in diameter; unevenly 3× corticated (Fig. 8 f ), secondary and tertiary cells smaller than primary cells, somewhat isostichous to tylacanthous, 26–30 cells around (Fig. 8 d ). Spine cells globose and somewhat inconspicuous, ~50 μm in diameter (Fig. 8 b ). Stipulodes somewhat obscure, in 2 whorls, each whorl up to 2× the number of branchlets, upper whorl ~100 μm long, lower whorl ~50–80 μm long (Fig. 8 e ). Branchlets 9 or 10 in a whorl, up to 12 mm long, segments 5 or 6, terminated by a blunt cell, scarcely corticated, a few cortical filaments on the first branchlet cell, and with cortical initials at the branchlet nodes (Fig. 8 a ). Bract cells highly reduced abaxially, longer, usually 2 adaxially (to 1000 μm long) at the branchlet nodes, bracteoles 2, ~800 μm long (Fig. 8 c ). Gametangia conjoined singly at the lowest 2 or 3 branchlet nodes (Fig. 8 c ). Oosporangia up to 1000 µm long and 400 µm wide with 12 stipes of helical cells, coronula up to 150 µm high, cells peg-shaped, spreading. Oospores brown to black, 530–680 µm long, 350–370 µm wide (Fig. 8 g ), often with a calcified covering ( gyrogonite 700–720 µm long). Striae of 11 or 12 low ridges, fossa wall 60–70 μm across, finely granulate (Fig. 8 h ), basal cell impression ~80 µm across. Antheridia up to 200 µm in diameter. Chromosomes not known. Distribution South Australia, the Victorian Mallee, and into the central part of the Northern Territory. Etymology Named in honour of Hans Hermann Behr ...