Nomenclatural Notes on some Philippine Species of Freshwater Red Algae (Rhodophyta)

Abstract

The study of Philippine freshwater algae has primarily focused on microscopic and planktonic forms such as those of Velasquez (1962), Pantastico (1977), Tamayo-Zafaralla (1998) among others, with little information known about macroscopic forms. Among the larger, benthic forms inhabiting freshwater habitats, seven species in five genera of red algae (Rhodophyta) have so far been documented from the Philippines. Two of these species belong to the Batrachospermaceae as currently circumscribed by Entwisle et al. (2009), with one species Batrachospermum nonocense Kumano et Liao originally described from the Philippines, with its type locality in Nonoc Island, Surigao del Norte province. Another freshwater red alga, Nemalionopsis shawii Skuja, also has a Philippine type locality (Lamao Reserve, Bataan province) and is the generitype species of Nemalionopsis Skuja currently placed within the Thoreaceae, which was recently accommodated into its new segregate order, the Thoreales by Müller et al. (2002).