Consideration of the order Cryptonemiales and the families Nemastomataceae and Furcellariaceae (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) in light of the morphology ofAdelophyton corneum(J. Agardh) gen. et comb. nov. from southern Australia

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Abstract
A new red algal genus is described, based on the southern Australian Chaetangium corneum J. Agardh. It is reproductively unique in that while the auxiliary cell is intercalary in an adventitious filament, a defining character of the order Cryptonemiales, the vegetative structure, carpogonial branches, connecting filaments and gonimoblast development seem strongly allied to lower families of the Gigartinales. Although its predominantly thallus-inward gonimoblast development is characteristic of the gigartinalian family Furcellariaceae, it is suggested that the new alga should be placed in the Nemastomataceae and that this family exhibits features which, in an ancient algal stock, could theoretically have given rise to the lower cryptonemialian and higher gigartinalian lines. The possible relationships between the Nemastomataceae, Furcellariaceae and Solieriaceae are discussed, and some seemingly primitive features of the Nemastomataceae are enumcrated.