Phymatolithon

Phymatolithon
	Phymatolithon calcareum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Archaeplastida
Division:	Rhodophyta
Class:	Florideophyceae
Order:	Corallinales
Family:	Hapalidiaceae
Genus:	Phymatolithon; Foslie, 1898
Species
	At least 11, including Phymatolithon bornetii ; Phymatolithon calcareum ; Phymatolithon elatum Chamberlain, 1990 ; Phymatolithon laeve ; Phymatolithon lenormandii (Areschoug) W.H.Adey ;
Synonyms
	Leptophytum Adey, 1966 ;

Phymatolithon is a genus of non geniculate coralline red algae, known from the UK,^[1] and Australia.^[2] It is encrusting, flat, and unbranched; it has tetrasporangia and bisporangia borne in multiporate conceptacles.^[1] Some of its cells bear small holes in the middle; this distinctive thallus texture is termed a "Leptophytum-type" thallus surface, and has been posited as a taxonomically informative character.^[1] It periodically sloughs off its epithallus, reducing its overgrowth by algae by as much as 50% compared to bare rock.^[3]

References

1 2 3 Chamberlain, Y. M. (1990). "The genus Leptophytum (Rhodophyta, Corallinaceae) in the British Isles with descriptions of Leptophytum bornetii, L. elatum sp. nov. and L. laeve". European Journal of Phycology. 25 (2): 179–199. doi:10.1080/00071619000650171.
↑ Wilks, K.; Woelkerling, W. (1994). "An account of southern Australian species of Phymatolithon (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) with comments on Leptophytum". Australian Systematic Botany. 7 (3): 183. doi:10.1071/SB9940183.
↑ Johnson, Craig R.; Mann, Kenneth H. (1986-04-25). "The crustose coralline alga, Phymatolithon Foslie, inhibits the overgrowth of seaweeds without relying on herbivores". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 96 (2): 127–146. doi:10.1016/0022-0981(86)90238-8. ISSN 0022-0981.

[:0-1] 1 2 3 Chamberlain, Y. M. (1990). "The genus Leptophytum (Rhodophyta, Corallinaceae) in the British Isles with descriptions of Leptophytum bornetii, L. elatum sp. nov. and L. laeve". European Journal of Phycology. 25 (2): 179–199. doi:10.1080/00071619000650171.

[Wilks1994-2] Wilks, K.; Woelkerling, W. (1994). "An account of southern Australian species of Phymatolithon (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) with comments on Leptophytum". Australian Systematic Botany. 7 (3): 183. doi:10.1071/SB9940183.

[Johnson1986-3] Johnson, Craig R.; Mann, Kenneth H. (1986-04-25). "The crustose coralline alga, Phymatolithon Foslie, inhibits the overgrowth of seaweeds without relying on herbivores". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 96 (2): 127–146. doi:10.1016/0022-0981(86)90238-8. ISSN 0022-0981.

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