THE SPECIES OF SPHACELARIA (SPHACELARIALES, PHAEOPHYCEAE) IN CHINA WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES

This paper deals with a study of a herbarium collection of marine Spha celaria specimens, gathered from the Chinese coast. One freshwater Sph acelaria species and seven marine species had been previously recorded for China. However, of these seven marine species, three species are considered synonyms. According to our opinion only five marine Sphacel aria species had been previously recorded for China. In the Chinese he rbarium collection examined seven marine species of Sphacelaria were f ound, S. rigidula, S. tribuloides, S. novaehollandiae, S. californica and S. carolinensis being previously recorded in this region. The two newly recorded species are Sphacelaria divaricata and a new species, S . tsengii, that was found on subtidal rocks at two locations in southe rn China. Sphacelaria tsengii is characterized by long propagules with a tapering stalk and usually two tapering arms. According to this col lection, S. rigidula and S. tribuloides are the dominant Sphacelaria s pecies in respectively the north and the south of China. Sphacelaria r igidula and S. divaricata have a wide latitudinal range, while S. cali fornica has only been found in Fujian and Zhejiang. The distribution o f the other species is restricted to the south. Structural characters are discussed and the holotype of S. carolinensis re-examined. It is s uggested that S. carolinensis should be placed in the Sphacelaria sect ion Furcigerae instead of in the section Tribuloides. A dichotomous id entification key for the Sphacelaria species of China is given.