CARRAGEENANS FROM AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FAMILY CYSTOCLONIACEAE (GIGARTINALES, RHODOPHYTA), WITH DESCRIPTION OF CALLIBLEPHARIS-CELATOSPORA SP. NOV., AND TRANSFER OF AUSTROCLONIUM TO THE FAMILY ARESCHOUGIACEAE

Ten Australian representatives from seven of the 10 genera presently c onstituting the family Cystolcloniaceae have been analyzed for their c ell-wall galactans. Included in our survey are the monotypic Australia n-endemic genera Austroclonium, Gloiophyllis, Erythronaema, and Sticto sporum, one species of Craspedocarpus, three species of Rhodophyllis, and two species of Calliblepharis. As one of the species of the latter genus is endemic to Western Australia and presently undescribed, we i llustrate its habit and anatomical features in formally proposing to n ame it Calliblepharis celatospora Kraft, sp. nov. All the species surv eyed essentially produce typical iota (iota)-carrageenans, with the ex ception of Austroclonium. The sulfated galactans from Austroclonium pr edominantly contain the repeating units of iota-, alpha (alpha)-, and 6'-O-methylated iota- and alpha-carrageenans; whether these exist as d iscrete polysaccharides or a complex hybrid structure was not resolved . Thus, Austroclonium carrageenans resemble the polysaccharides from R habdonia, Areschougia, and Erythroclonium. Although these latter three genera are currently included in the large gigartinalean family Solie riaceae, all produce significantly different carrageenans from Solieri a itself and related genera such as Eucheuma, Kappaphycus, Betaphycus, Sarcodiotheca, Agardhiella, Sarconema, and Callophycus. In considerat ion of these findings, as well as of significant anatomical similariti es, we provisionally recommend reestablishment of the family Rhabdonia ceae Kylin (as the family Areschougiaceae J. Agardh) for Rhabdonia, Ar eschougia, Erythroclonium, and Austroclonium.