Chara zeylanica Klein ex Willd., Mém. Acad. Roy.
Creators: name: Casanova, Michelle T.
name: Karol, Kenneth G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Charophyta
Charophyceae
Charales
Characeae
Chara
Chara zeylanica

description: Chara zeylanica Klein ex Willd., Mém. Acad. Roy. Sci. Hist. (Berlin) 1803: 86 (1805)   
 Chara polyphylla subsp. ceylanica A.Braun, Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 264 (1845), nom. illeg.; C. gymnopus var. ceylanica (A.Braun) Allen, Charac. America 1: 63 (1888), as ʻ Ceylonica ʼ. Type: Ceylon collecta, 26 May 1798, J.Klein 508 (lecto: B-W!; isolecto: HBG!, MEL!).   
 Chara zeylanica f. typica Zaneveld, Blumea 4: 208 (1940), nom. inval.   
 Monoecious. Plants up to 10–50 cm high, compact and often highly calcified in shallow water, but elongate in deeper water (Fig. 22 a). Axes up to 400–800 µm in diameter; internodes essentially 3× corticated, (22–30 cells around), 24–65 mm long (Fig. 22 b). Spine cells sometimes obscure, where present occurring singly, in pseudo-whorls on the axes, very long and thin up to 800–1000 μm long and 20–40 μm wide (Fig. 22 b). Stipulodes in 2 whorls, uppers pointing up (500–600 μm long), lowers pointing down (300–400 μm long), 2× the number as branchlets in each of the whorls (Fig. 22 c). Branchlets 9–11 in a whorl, 10–22 mm long, segments 6–8, the basal cell (Fig. 22 d) and 1 or2 end cells not corticated (sometimes the basal cell is obscured by the upper row of stipulodes), the remainder corticated with ~14–18 cells around (Fig. 22 c). Bract cells 4–6 verticillate at the branchlet nodes, elongate, inner cells up to 0.4–1.2 mm long, outer up to 0.6 mm long, bracteoles 2, up to 0.5–1.3 mm long (Fig. 22 e). Gametangia conjoined singly at the lowest 4 or 5 branchlet nodes. Oosporangia 1000–1200 µm long and 600–700 µm wide, 9 stripes of helical cells, coronula up to 100–150 µm high, cells appressed. Oospores black, 850 µm long, 250 µm wide (Fig. 22 f), fossa wall with a calcified covering (gyrogonite 1000 µm long). Striae of 10 or 11 flanged ridges, fossa wall 80 μm across, papillate (Fig. 22 g), small basal claws present. Basal cell impression rounded, ~100 µm in diameter (Fig. 22 h) Antheridia 200–250 µm in diameter, tetrascutate (Fig. 22 e). Chromosomes n = 28 (specimen A. T.Hotchkiss, 5 Nov. 1968 (B)).   Distribution  
In freshwater streams and rivers in the north of Australia, throughout tropical Asia and most of the tropical regions of the world.  Etymology  
 Zeylanica is from the Latin Zeylonas, the species being named for its occurrence in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).   Notes  
 Plants are usually notably coarse and smelly, with abundant reproductive structures visible along the branchlets. Chara zeylanica is one of a few Chara species known with tetrascuate antheridia (with 4 lozenge-shaped shield cells, rather than the 8 triangular shield-cells typical of the genus; Proctor et al. 1971). Sterile plants are distinguished on the basis of the naked (ecorticate) basal branchlet cell, the well-developed stipulodes in two rows, and the axial cortex cells three times the number of branchlets in the adjacent whorl, often with long spine cells. A single specimen from Pullout Bore (P. K.Latz & A.Schubert 28441 (DNA)) has variable development of the axial cortex, similar to Chara brittonii Allen ex C.B.Rob., but is retained in C. zeylanica pending further study.   Specimens examined  
 NORTHERN TERRITORY: Pullout Bore, 15 km NNW of Amanbidji Settlement, 11 Sep. 2013,  P. K. Latz & A. Schubert 28441 (DNA) [specimen without axial cortex in part]; Upper Wickham River, 1 Mar. 1989, Russell-Smith 7734 & Lucas (DNA); Gove Road at Mainoru River Crossing, 21 Oct. 1981,  T. S. Henshall 3895 (DNA); Bradshaw Station, 18 Feb. 1999,  C. R. Michell 2157 (DNA); Jarong Spring, Wingate Mountains 16 Mar. 1989, Brock 701 & Russell-Smith (DNA); Daly River Mission, 6 Oct. 1992,  L. L. V. Williams 296 & G. M. Wightman (DNA); Lake Eames, Vanderlin Island, 1 Aug. 1988,  P. K. Latz 11084 (BRI, DNA, MEL, NT); Roper River, 2000, S. Townsend R4 (DNA)     ; waterfall pool north of West Baines River Crossing, 5 Nov. 1968,  A. T. Hotchkiss x-251 (B); Daly River, 2001,  S. Townsend p56 (MEL); Howard Springs, Darwin area, 28 June 1977,  L. A. Craven 4472 (CANB); Bulls Run Creek, Tipperary Station, 4 May 1990,  G. J. Leach & I. D. Cowie 2852 (DNA, MEL); Mataranka Reserve, 4 May 1977, Must 1487 (CANB, MEL); Daly River crossing, 12 Nov. 1982,  C. R. Dunlop 6293 (DNA); Amelia Springs, MacArthur River area, 30 Jan. 1976,  L. A. Craven 3536 (DNA); Robinson River, approx. 12 km N of Seven Emu, 10 May 1985,  G. Leach 631 (DNA, MEL, NT); Kulamindini Swamp, near Elliott, 22 Apr. 1991,  D. J. Parsons 137 (DNA); Chambers Bay, Woolner Station, coastal floodplain, 19 June 1995,  I. Cowie & R. Griffin 5851 (DNA); Port Darwin, 9 Apr. 1896, T. B. Blow A98 (BM)         .
description: Published as part of Casanova, Michelle T. & Karol, Kenneth G., 2023, Charophytes of Australia's Northern Territory - I. Tribe Chareae, pp. 38-79 in Australian Systematic Botany 36 (1) on page 75, DOI: 10.1071/SB22023, http://zenodo.org/record/10904227