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Taxon
Lytocarpia phyteuma (Kirchenpauer, 1876)
Nomenclature
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Family: AglaopheniidaeGenus: Lytocarpia
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Synonyms: 1
SUMMARY
Hydrorhiza tubular, entwining substrate. Stems plumose, to 50 mm high, unbranched, monosiphonic, prosegment ahydrocladiate, divided thereafter into short internodes by indistinct transverse nodes, perisarc thick.
Hydrocladia alternate, frontal on stem, close, one on internode, held out stiffly at an angle of c. 45°; hydrocladia long with up to 30 hydrothecae, first hydrothecate internode adpressed to hydrocaulus, perisarc of internode thick, nodes marked by a notch and a faint transverse line or thinning of perisarc, a short intranodal septum passing from posterior of hydrotheca.
Hydrotheca semi-ovoid, a strong partial to entire septum passing from internode into hydrotheca at about one third distance from posterior margin; margin inclined backwards at c. 35° to internode, mesial abcauline cusp tongue-shaped, prominent, flanked by three pairs of rounded cusps of almost equal size and shape, not bent outwards and a pair of smaller, sharper cusps, bent slightly outwards behind lateral nematothecae . Perisarc of hydrotheca moderately thick, thinner below margin but thickened below marginal cusps.
Mesial nematotheca adnate to hydrotheca, not reaching hydrothecal margin, abcauline wall weakly convex to sinuous, narrowing to a gutter-shaped orifice open down to hydrotheca. Lateral nematothecae ovoid, facing outwards, narrowing distally, overlapping next internode, orifice large, gutter-shaped, open down to internode. Two nematothecae on each cauline internode, pouch-shaped with wide orifice, one just above node, the other at base of hydrocladium, facing outwards. Corbula replacing a hydrocladium, proximal segment hydrothecate followed by an internode bearing a small, free leaflet; corbula with up to 20 ribs, corbula closed but with a distinct thinning of perisarc at base of ribs, free edges of ribs deep, upturned, no rachial internodes, base of each rib hydrothecate, margin of hydrotheca entire but without mesial or lateral nematothecae; rib with at least 12 erect nematothecae similar to hydrothecal laterals, orifice of nematothecae wide, gutter-shaped.
Colour: Stems deep honey brown, hydrocladia paler brown.