New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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New Zealand Gigartinaceae (Rhodophyta): resurrecting Gigartina grandifida endemic to the Chatham Islands

W. A. Nelson

National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd
Private Bag 14901
Kilbirnie, Wellington 6241, New Zealand

J. E. S. Broom

Department of Biochemistry
University of Otago
PO Box 56
Dunedin 9054, New Zealand

Abstract The red alga Gigartina grandifida J.Agardh (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) was described in 1876 from collections made in the Chatham Islands by H. H. Travers, but was later reduced to synonymy pro parte with species of Sarcothalia and Gigartina from mainland New Zealand. Recent collecting expeditions to the Chatham Islands targeting Gigartinaceae have found a species growing in the low intertidal to upper subtidal zones that can be distinguished by morphology and habitat from other members of the family. Molecular sequence data and phylogenetic analyses have revealed that this species is genetically distinct from all other New Zealand and Chatham Islands Gigartinaceae. This species is consistent with the original concept of the Chatham Island endemic species G . grandifida J.Agardh.

Keywords Gigartina grandifida J.Agardh; Gigartinaceae; Chatham Islands; New Zealand; Rhodophyta; taxonomy

B07043; Online publication date 6 June 2008; Received 27 September 2007; accepted 20 March 2008

New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2008, Vol. 46 : 177–187
0028–825X/08/4602–0177 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008

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