Nitella jwalae (Labh & B.N. Verma) R.E. Romanov

Romanov, Roman E., Nikulin, Vyacheslav Yu., Vishnyakov, Vasily S., Tsegmid, Bukhchuluun, Efremov, Andrey N., Zhakova, Liubov V. & Gontcharov, Andrey A., 2024, Tolypella mongolica (Charophyceae, Characeae): A new dioecious charophyte species from the center of Eurasia and implications for charophyte taxonomy, including the validation of T. porteri and the new combination for T. jwalae, Phytotaxa 659 (1), pp. 24-40 : 34

Nitella jwalae (Labh & B.N. Verma) R.E. Romanov comb. nov.

= Tolypella jwalae Labh & B.N. Verma Bibl. Phycol. 66: 386. 1983 (as ‘ jwalai ’)

Original material (compiled from: Labh & B. N. Verma 1983: 380):— INDIA, Bihar, Gopalganj, Mishra Batranha, paddy field, no collector, February 1976 and Figures 3–13 at pp. 381 and 383 in Labh & B. N. Verma Bibl. Phycol. 66. 1983. The holotype, labels of examined specimens, existence of preserved specimens, and place of their storage were not indicated in the protologue.

Lectotype (designated here by R. E. Romanov):— Figures 3–13 at pp. 381 and 383 in Labh & B. N. Verma Bibl. Phycol. 66. 1983.

Type locality (Labh & B. N. Verma 1983: 380):— INDIA, Bihar, Gopalganj, Mishra Batranha, paddy field.

Note:—There is no information regarding the existence of a holotype, therefore, a selection of illustrations from the protologue as a lectotype implemented here appears to be a single variant available according to the ICN Art. 9.3. The name of the species, i.e. “ jwalae ” is accepted here according to the suggestion by Guiry & Guiry (2024). This species belongs to Nitella because it has furcated, non-monopodial branchlets and single-celled dactyls. N. jwalae is similar to N. mirabilis Nordst. ex J. Groves (1924: 364) , but does differ by the absence of mucilage around the gametangia, the ability to produce more numerous antheridia and oogonia in a node, simple sterile branchlets, both sterile and fertile branchlets in the same whorl, presence of simple fertile branchlets, lateral heads consisting of special branchlets without dactyls and adventitious dwarf fertile branchlets, smaller oospores, more convolutions of spiral cells of oogonia, more spiral ridges of oospores, fibrous surface of oospore (cf. Groves 1924, Wood & Imahori 1964, 1965, Labh & Verma 1983). These differences suggest that N. jwalae is a distinct species of the section Nitella R.D. Wood (1962: 15) .

Figures

FIGURES 2–22. Morphological traits of Tolypella mongolica sp. nov., Mongolia (UBA, LE, NHMM): 2–5—apical parts of plants with different numbers of more or less compacted branchlets; 6—whorl of most compacted branchlets; 7—lateral branch; 8–10—basal parts of whorls with well-developed branchlets, arrowhead indicates lateral ray with fructifying node; 11—first node (arrowhead) of richly branched plant; 12—close view of apical whorls of branchlets, arrowhead indicates richly fertile single node of main axis of branchlet; 13—apical whorl of branchlets having two-celled ends; 14—gradually tapering three-celled end of long branchlets; 15–20—basal parts of branchlet whorls and axial nodes with numerous oogonia, arrowheads indicate single richly fertile nodes of branchlets above basal branchlet internode having variable length; 21 & 22—richly fertile single nodes of main axes of branchlets: 21—arrowheads indicate lateral rays; 22—arrowheads indicate nodes of lateral rays. Scale: 2–11—5 mm, 12–18, 20–22—1 mm, 19—2 mm. Photographs by R.E. Romanov.