Tricleocarpa fragilis (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Tricleocarpa fragilis (L.) Huisman & R.A. Towns.
- Protologue: Bot. J. Linn. Soc. (London) 113: 100, table 2 (1993).
- Family: Galaxauraceae
- Chromosome number: 2n= unknown
Synonyms
- Eschara fragilis L. (1758),
- Galaxaura oblongata (J. Ellis & Sol.) J.V. Lamour. (1816),
- Tricleocarpa oblongata (J. Ellis & Sol.) Huisman & Borow. (1990).
Origin and geographic distribution
T. fragilis is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. In South-East Asia it is recorded from Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, the Philippines, eastern Indonesia and the northern coasts of Papua New Guinea.
Uses
T. fragilis is a source of sulphated polysaccharide related to carrageenan (not used commercially). It is mainly used in animal feed and as a fertilizer in leached acid soils.
Production and international trade
T. fragilis is not used in commercial quantities and data are not available.
Properties
T. fragilis has a high ash content, with much calcium.
Description
- Thalli (gametophytes) forming erect, bushy, pinkish-red clumps, up to 70 mm tall, composed of slightly calcified, terete branches.
- Branches regularly dichotomous and divaricately branched, forming acute angles; interdichotomal segments glabrous, cylindrical, slightly constricted and rounded at both ends, with annulate surfaces, (1-)5-8(-15) mm long, 1.5-2 mm in diameter, shortest at the apices.
- Cortex with 3-4 layers, innermost one inflated, colourless, grading to smaller, pigmented outer cortical cells; thallus internally composed of medulla of longitudinal filaments.
- Life cycle triphasic, diplo-haplontic and heteromorphic.
- Tetrasporophytes probably small, filamentous, branched.
- Gametophytes monoecious or dioecious.
- Cystocarps with distinct, sterile pericarp, with few sterile 3-4 celled paraphyses arising from pericarp, projecting slightly into cystocarp cavity; gonimoblast not completely lining pericarp.
- Carposporangia obovoid, 45-65 μm × 26-40 μm, produced terminally from gonimoblast filaments.
- Cystocarps spherical to slightly flattened, 400-500 μm in diameter.
- Spermatangia in spherical cavities formed by profuse growth of specialized branched filaments near apex of fertile plants; cavities 300-350 μm in diameter, with spermatangia 6-8 μm × 4-6 μm.
Other botanical information
Because the difference between T. fragilis and a related species, T. cylindrica (J. Ellis & Sol.) Huisman & Borow., is mainly based on characters of the gonimoblast morphology, synonymy of Galaxaura dimorpha Kjellm. (originally described from western Timor, Indonesia) has not yet been ascertained.
Ecology
T. fragilis is commonly found attached to rocks, dead corals and shells in shallow areas, moderately exposed to wave action, where it forms large solitary clumps. Material of this alga has been dredged up in subtidal areas more than 50 m deep.
Propagation and planting
No phycoculture of T. fragilis is known.
Harvesting
T. fragilis is only hand-collected or collected from washed-up material.
Handling after harvest
T. fragilis is air-dried and grounded.
Prospects
There are very few development prospects for T. fragilis.
Literature
- Huisman, J.M. & Borowitzka, M.A., 1990. A revision of the Australian species of Galaxaura (Rhodophyta, Galaxauraceae), with a description of Tricleocarpa gen. nov. Phycologia 29: 150-172.
Sources of illustration
Huisman, J.M. & Borowitzka, M.A., 1990. A revision of the Australian species of Galaxaura (Rhodophyta, Galaxauraceae), with a description of Tricleocarpa gen. nov. Phycologia 29: Fig. 47, p. 165 (cross-section thallus); Trono, G.C. & Ganzon-Fortes, E.T., 1980. An illustrated seaweed flora of Calatagan, Batangas, Philippines. University of the Philippines Marine Science Center & Filipinas Foundation, Manila, The Philippines. Fig. on p. 61 (habit and terminal branches). Redrawn and adapted by P. Verheij-Hayes.
Authors
- G.C. Trono Jr
