MORPHOLOGICAL-STUDIES OF LAURENCIA-GEMMIFERA AND LAURENCIA-POITEAUI (RHODOMELACEAE, RHODOPHYTA) FROM THE NICHUPTE LAGOON SYSTEM, QUINTANA-ROO, MEXICO

Morphological studies were carried out on Laurencia gemmifera and L. p oiteaui from the Nichupte Lagoon System, Quintana Roo, Mexico. These s pecies share morphological similarities and possess features intermedi ate between the subgenera Laurencia Lamouroux and Chondrophycus Tokida et Saito, including secondary pit-connections between adjacent cortic al cells and a right-angle arrangement of the tetrasporangia. They are , however, easily differentiated by their respective habits and anatom ical details. Vegetative and reproductive features of Laurencia gemmif era and L. poiteaui are reported here. Despite the fact that the two s pecies share characteristics common to both subgenera Laurencia and Ch ondrophycus, they appear to be more closely related to subgenus Chondr ophycus.