Structure and reproduction of Gracilaria longa sp. nov. (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) from the Mediterranean Sea

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Abstract
Gracilaria longa sp. nov. is described from the Mediterranean Sea, after a comparison of habit, morphology and reproduction with other species from the same area. The species is characterized by elongate second order axes, slender ultimate branchlets, «verrucosa-type» spermatangial conceptacles, a lobed fusion cell and a poorly developed inner pericarp. Karyological observations on meiotic tetrasporangia showed that n=24. A comparison with other Mediterranean species of Gracilaria with terete thalli is presented. The morphological similarities between some species of the genus in the Mediterranean are considered to be a result of low evolutionary divergence due to a relatively recent origin.