2 NEW SPECIES OF THE RED ALGA CHRYSYMENIA AGARDH,J. (RHODYMENIALES, RHODYMENIACEAE) FROM THE TROPICAL WESTERN ATLANTIC

Two new species of Chrysymenia, C. littleriana and C. nodulosa, are de scribed from subtidal habitats, and compared to worldwide members of t heir morphological form-group, and to the other species of the tropica l western Atlantic. Chrysymenia nodulosa, from the southwest coast of Puerto Rico, is characterized by its terete to compressed axes, opposi te or alternate pinnate branching to 2 orders, nodulose swellings on t he thallus surface, and spermatangia produced in anticlinal rows. Chry symenia litteriana, from southern Martinique, is characterized by comp ressed axes, opposite pinnate branching to 5 orders, a lack of nodulos e swellings, and spermatangia in periclinal rows. Among the known spec ies of Chrysymenia, C. bullosa is recognized to be a Botryocladia and a new combination is proposed. Observations suggest that the ontogeny and structure of spermatangia in species of Chrysymenia be investigate d as taxonomic characters, possibly for subgeneric groupings.