species: Herposiphonia secunda in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Herposiphonia secunda


©Georgina Nicholson: Herposiphonia secunda from Lizard Island. Scale bar is 200 µm. Identified by Georgina Nicholson.

©Georgina Nicholson: Herposiphonia secunda from Lizard Island. Scale bar is 200 µm. Identified by Georgina Nicholson.

©Georgina Nicholson: Herposiphonia secunda from Lizard Island. Scale bar is 200 µm. Identified by Georgina Nicholson.
Kingdom Plantae
Division Rhodophyta
Class Florideophyceae
Order Ceramiales
Family Rhodomelaceae
Genus Herposiphonia
Species Herposiphonia secunda

Colours

         

Distinguishing features

Huisman et al (2007) note that this species is often epiphytic, common in algal turfs, grows to less than 5 mm tall, and can spread laterally for some distance.

Littler and Littler (2003) note that plants in this genus may be creeping, tangled, and finely fibrous forming mats less than 1 cm high on the substrate, or filamentous tufts to 10 cm high. Key characters for the genus are: runner tips upcurved, uprights unbranched (Littler and Littler, 2003).

Size

  • Up to 0.5 cm (height according to Huisman et al, 2007)

Synonyms

Distribution

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Littler, D.S. and M.M. Littler (2003). South Pacific Reef Plants: A diver's guide to the plant life of South Pacific coral reefs. Offshore Graphics Inc, Washington DC, USA.

Other references

  • Huisman, J.M., I.A. Abbott and C.M. Smith (2007). Hawaiian Reef Plants University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, Honolulu, USA.