Luticola jogensis (H.P.Gandhi) A.Kale, Levkov & B.Karthick, 2017

Kale, Aditi, Levkov, Zlatko & Karthick, Balasubramanian, 2017, Typification of two species of Luticola (Bacillariophyta) from aerophilic habitats of the Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 298 (1), pp. 29-42 : 30-33

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.298.1.3
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0381E361-BF65-FFCD-DBE5-8818FD848BAD
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Luticola jogensis (H.P.Gandhi) A.Kale, Levkov & B.Karthick
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Luticola jogensis (H.P.Gandhi) A.Kale, Levkov & B.Karthick , comb. nov., stat. nov. ( Figures 2–26 View FIGURES 2–4 View FIGURES 5–18 View FIGURES 19–22 View FIGURES 23–26 )

Basionym:— Navicula charlatti v. jogensis H.P. Gandhi 1970 , Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia 31, p. 770, figs 49–51 (Gandhi, H.P. (1970) A further contribution to the diatom flora of the Jog-Falls, Mysore State, India. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia 31: 757–813.)

Lectotype (designated here):—[illustration] Fig. 50 View FIGURES 49–51 in Plate II in Gandhi (1970) (here reproduced as Fig. 3 View FIGURES 2–4 ).

Locus typicus:— INDIA, Karnataka, Jog Falls. Sample collected from encrustations on wet rocks along with some bryophytes and podostemonads, floating flakes of green matter and the brownish scum from pools, puddles and sheltered ditches near Jog-Falls (14.1758 °N, 74.8460 °E).

Epitypus (designated here):— Slide 03–36 from epilithic material #118 collected from a wet wall near Mahabaleshwar (17.91943 °N, 73.63112 °E), elevation– 1197 m, deposited in Diatom Collection at AHMA, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India. (the valve representing the epitype is Fig. 16 View FIGURES 5–18 ).

Isoepitypus:— Slide 03– 35 in AHMA

The valve outline is rhombic-lanceolate with protracted and rostrate apices. The valve length ranges from 28.5–36 μm and valve width from 7–9 μm (n = 50). Valve face is flat. Valve margin is thickened especially at apices ( Figs 5– 18 View FIGURES 5–18 ). Axial area is narrow, linear, slightly elevated and slightly curved along the raphe at centre and raphe branches are straight. Central area is bow-tie shaped with grooves on both sides of proximal raphe endings. Central area is bordered with 2–3, isolated, round, smaller areolae located near the valve margin ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 5–18 ).

Several (4–5) surface depressions are present in the central area. A single, isolated and trans-apically elongated stigma is located between valve centre and margin ( Fig. 20 View FIGURES 19–22 ). Raphe branches are positioned on a distinct raphe sternum. Externally, distal raphe endings are hooked, first deflected on same side as proximal ends and then hooked towards the opposite side. Proximal raphe endings are short with rounded ends and deflected away from the stigma ( Fig. 20 View FIGURES 19–22 ). Transapical striae are radiate in the mid-valve becoming strongly radiate towards apices 17–20 in 10 μm ( Figs 5–18 View FIGURES 5–18 ). Striae composed of 5–6 rounded areolae. The areolae near the valve margins are larger ( Figs 19–20 View FIGURES 19–22 ). Mantle striae are composed of two in the mid-valve and three elongated areolae towards the apices ( Figs 22 View FIGURES 19–22 , 26 View FIGURES 23–26 ).

The internal structure shows areolae occluded by hymenes, forming a continuous strip across the valve. A narrow, indistinct marginal channel is present at the valve face/mantle junction, and is occluded by a hymen ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 23–26 ). The central nodule is strongly thickened forming a stauros. Stigma is an indistinct opening bordered with a large, circular and lipped structure. The raphe slit is simple and straight with proximal endings slightly deflected towards the stigma ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 23–26 ). Distally, the raphe terminates in a small helictoglossa ( Figs 24, 26 View FIGURES 23–26 ). Internal valve apices clearly showing the pseudosepta ( Figs 24, 26 View FIGURES 23–26 ).

Etymology:— The specific epithet “ jogensis ” refers to the type locality Jog Falls where the species was described originally by H. P. Gandhi.

Distribution:— This aerophilic species was originally described from the Central Western Ghats (12– 16°N) by Gandhi and is currently found from the Northern Western Ghats (16– 21°N). To date, samples outside the Western Ghats region have not documented this species. Hence L. jogensis is possibly endemic to the Western Ghats.

Ecology:— Gandhi described these species from encrustations on wet rocks along with some bryophytes and podostemonads, floating flakes of green matter and the brownish scum from pools, puddles and sheltered ditches. This study records the species from epilithic material on a wet wall in spray zone of a waterfall. The water quality recorded for the wet wall was pH = 6.59, electrical conductance = 30.7 μS/cm, water temperature = 19.8°C, dissolved oxygen = 8.3 mg /L, and nitrate = 1.0 mg/L.