Studies on a Red Alga Sirodotia huillensis (Batrachospermaceae) from Orissa State, India

Abstract

Sirodotia huillensis (Welwitsch ex W and G. S. West) Skuja is a well known and a
common freshwater red alga; it was collected from the submerged stones of streams near
the forest farm lands of the R. Udayagiri ranges of Orissa state, India. It was mostly
reported from Western Ghats of India and it has been recorded for the first time in Eastern
Ghats.
In the present paper, the morphology and reproductive structures of S. huillensis i.e., male
and female thallai, branching pattern, spermatia on primary and secondary laterals,
asymmetrical carpogonia, distinctly stalked trichogyne and indistinct carposporophyte with
globular to obovoid shaped carposporangium are described in detail.

Full text

*Corresponding author; Email address: umarani_gnc@yahoo.co.in
45
Journal of Theoretical and Experimental Biology (ISSN: 0972-9720), 11 (3 and 4): 45-50, 2015
© 2015 Elias Academic Publishers
www.jteb.webs.com
Studies on a Red Alga Sirodotia huillensis
(Batrachospermaceae) from Orissa State, India
U. Elaya Perumal1, V. Uma Rani1* and B.B. Chaugule2
1Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, Guru Nanak College, Chennai-600042, Tamil Nadu, India.
2Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University,Pune-411007, Maharashtra, India.
Received: 15 May, 2015; revised received: 10 June, 2015
Abstract
Sirodotia huillensis (Welwitsch ex W and G. S. West) Skuja is a well known and a
common freshwater red alga; it was collected from the submerged stones of streams near
the forest farm lands of the R. Udayagiri ranges of Orissa state, India. It was mostly
reported from Western Ghats of India and it has been recorded for the first time in Eastern
Ghats.
In the present paper, the morphology and reproductive structures of S. huillensis i.e., male
and female thallai, branching pattern, spermatia on primary and secondary laterals,
asymmetrical carpogonia, distinctly stalked trichogyne and indistinct carposporophyte with
globular to obovoid shaped carposporangium are described in detail.
Keywords: Sirodotia huillensis, Orissa, Eastern Ghats, gametophyte, trichogyne,
carposporangium.
Introduction
The family Batrachospermaceae belongs to the order Batrachospermales and has six
well known genera namely Batrachospermum Roth (1797), Kumanoa Entwisle et.al.
(2009), Sirodotia Kylin (1912), Nothocladus Skuja (1934), Tuomeya Harvey (1938) and
Sheathia Salomaki and M.L.Vis in Salomaki et al., (2014).The morphology of the
gametophyte of Batrachospermum, Sirodotia, Tuomeya, and Nothocladus are more are
less similar to each other. Necchi and Entwisle (1990) proposed to delimit them from
Generic level to section level of genus Batrachospermum (Sheathia was the member of
genus Batrachospermum and recently rose to generic level). But, later phylogenetic
studies revealed a distinctive genus level of the above with full support in bootstrap
analysis (Visetal., 1998) and Sirodotia has been raised to generic level.
The genus Sirodotia has been recognized by the two important reproductive
characters such as asymmetrical carpogonium in the gametophyte and indeterminate/
indistinct gonimoblast filament in the carposporophyte (Starmach, 1977; Necchi et al.,
1993; Kumanoa 2002). Further recognition of species inside the genus is done by
various distinct characters like morphology of the gametophyte, position of
spermatangia, position of the carpogonial branch, gonimoblast filament arising from the
side of from carpogonium, and the size of the carpogonium (Starmach, 1977; Necchi et
al., 1993, 2007). Although there are 21 species in the genus Sirodotia (Guiry and Guiry,
2015), Kumanoa (2002) in his review of freshwater red algae of the world recognized
only eight species and fourteen species were taxonomically accepted by Guiry and

Elaya Perumal et al /Studies on a Red Alga, Sirodotia Huillensis from Orissa State, India.
Journal of Theoretical and Experimental Biology (ISSN: 0972-9720), 11 (3 and 4): 45-50, 2015
46
Guiry (2015). S.huillensis is cosmopolitan in distribution whereas some species were
known from few locations and few are endemic (Kumanoa, 2002).
Material and Methods
Collection
Fresh materials were collected from a running stream of R. Udayagiri range, nearby the villages
Khajuripada and R.Udhayagiri (N20.135414, E 84.377808), Orissa State in December 2012.
Preservation
All the materials were preserved in 4% formalin and enriched with 10% glycerin in plastic
bottles with proper labeling. Some material was freshly placed on the paper for dry preservation
(herbarium).
Staining and Mounting
Staining was done with methylene blue or alcian blue and mounted in 50% glycerin.
Cottonblue-lactophenol was also used as a staining medium for few observations and aceto-
carmine is used for Pseudochantransia stages. Hydrofluoric acid treatment was given to get rid
of soil particles in some cases.
Observation and Documentation
The materials were observed under E. Leitz Wetzlar Microscope (Germany) and documented.
Photomicrographs were taken using UCMOS Photography unit and CCD & CMOS Digital
Camera Solution Software Ver. 3.5 was used to analyze the photomicrographs and Leica EC3
System. Camera Lucida sketches also was made.
Plate 1: Fig. 1: Male and female thalli; Fig. 2: Branching and tip portions of female thalli; Fig. 3:
Branching and tip portions of male thallus; Fig. 4: Curved tip of female thallus; Fig. 5: thallus showing
Straight tip and Presence of hairs.

Elaya Perumal et al /Studies on a Red Alga, Sirodotia Huillensis from Orissa State, India.
Journal of Theoretical and Experimental Biology (ISSN: 0972-9720), 11 (3 and 4): 45-50, 2015
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Species Description
Plant height ranges from 6-10 cm, thallus moderately mucilaginous, abundantly branched,
branches arise from the internodes; a few grows like main axis and others remaining short,
giving a false appearance of sparse branching. Colour of the gametophyte varies from light
green to olive green. Primary and secondary fascicles (whorls) are produced all along the plant
body which gives beaded appearance to the thallus. The inter-nodal region has secondary
fascicles which are globular when young and obconical (cone) at maturity. The whorls are
280.50 – 540.10 µm in diameter and 210.85 to 764.95 µm long. Apical cells are dome shaped,
5.49 - 6.70µm long and 3.82 – 4.25µm broad. Internodes are long, slender, measuring 317 –
864.30 µm in length and 35 - 66 µm in breadth. Basal cells are 6.4 – 8.35 µm diameter, globular
to sub-globular in shape. 2 - 3 primary laterals arise from each basal cell which is6 – 12 cells
long. Cells broader towards tip, obovoidal to elliptic in shape; 11.50- 14.10 µm long and 3.80 –
7.25 µm broad. Cortical cells 1 - 2 per basal cell, measuring 3.15 – 6.55 µm broad, and 10.20 -
29.20 µm long. Secondary laterals abundant, initiated from the cortical filaments, 3 – 9 (~11)
celled long; cells obovoidal, 14.35 - 19.15 µm long, 3.50 – 6.10 µm broad, unbranched or rarely
branched. Plate II
Plate 2: Fig. 1 and 2: Shows the presence of Spermatangium; Fig. 3: Shows the carpogonial branch; Fig.
4: Shows the Carpogonium and distinctly stalked Trichogyne; Fig. 5: shows the carpogonia and
carpogonial branch.

Elaya Perumal et al /Studies on a Red Alga, Sirodotia Huillensis from Orissa State, India.
Journal of Theoretical and Experimental Biology (ISSN: 0972-9720), 11 (3 and 4): 45-50, 2015
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Plate 3: Portion of the Thallus enlarged to show Indistinct Carposporophyte.
Plate 4: Portion of Carposporophyte enlarged to show Carposporangium and Gonimoblast filament.
Male plants have protruding apical cells in dominance (>70%) with straight tips
whereas female plants are with curved tips and non-protruding apical cells in dominance Male
plants also possesses prominent long, thin, slender hairs, 10.30 - 93.65 µm long with bulbous
base. In female plants hairs are absent.
Plant is diecious and monoecious. Spermatangia are produced in separate male plants
on both primary and secondary laterals, apical or sub apical in position which are either single
or in clusters, pairs are also common. The diameter of spermatia ranges from 5.65 to 7.80µm.
Carpogonial branches are produced from the basal cells at the nodal region of the female plants.
First carpogonial branch arises at 15-30th axial cells, 1-2 per basal cell, 3-5 cell long, slightly
curved with distinctly stalked cylindrical trichogyne on the dorsal side of asymmetrical
carpogonium. Carpogonium slightly protruded or broader on ventral side and 7.50 to 12.85 µm
in diameter, trichogyne cylindrical elongated with wavy margin, 23.45 – 31.25 µm long and
4.50 – 5.55µm in width. The initiation of Gonimoblast filament starts from the ventral side of
Carpogonium. Gonimoblast filaments creeping along the cortical filaments and producing 2 - 4
celled branches, which forms carposporangium. Gonimoblast filaments are often found growing
towards both upward and downward directions. Carposporangium globular to obovoidal in
shape 7.05 – 8.05 µm diameter and 7.80 – 12.70 µm long. Tetrasporophytes are microscopic,

Elaya Perumal et al /Studies on a Red Alga, Sirodotia Huillensis from Orissa State, India.
Journal of Theoretical and Experimental Biology (ISSN: 0972-9720), 11 (3 and 4): 45-50, 2015
49
filamentous and heterotrichous. Cells of erect filaments are cylinder shaped, 8.30 – 14.40 µm
long and 5.10 – 7.45 µm broad. Discussion
The present study confirms, genus Sirodotia by the presence of asymmetrical carpogonium and
indistinct Carposporophyte (Starmach, 1977; Necchi et al., 1993; Kumanoa 2002). Though
Kumano (2002) in his monograph considered S. cirrhosa as a synonym of S. huillensis, species,
characters such as monoecious and dioecious nature, thallus 6-10 cm long, light green to olive
green in colour, cone shaped whorls and the branching pattern were similar to the description
given by Balakrishnan and Chaugule (1980). Reproductive characters like spherical spermatia,
on both primary and secondary laterals, and also diameter of spermatia are more or less similar.
Shape of the carpogonium and the protuberance on carpogonium are additional supports for the
confirmation. The Gonimoblast filament which arises from the same side of protuberance is yet
another important identifying feature of the species (Starmach, 1977; Necchi et al., 1993, 2007).
The presence of globular to obovoidal shaped carposporophyte and its diameter range also adds
value to the confirmation of the current specimen is S. huillensis. In 2006 diecious plants of S.
huillensis were observed by Carmona et. al. While considering the previous observations hence
it is proved that the S. huillensis has both diecious & monoecious plant body.
Conclusion
In the present study the morphology and reproductive structures of Sirodotia huillensis were
described in detail. Characters like male and female thallai, branching pattern, spermatia on both
primary and secondary laterals, carpogonia asymmetrical, trichogyne distinctly stalked and
indistinct carposporophyte with globular Carposporangium are similar to the description
reported earlier from India and the thallus is both diecious and monoecious. Though there were
several records of S. huillensis in Western Ghats, it has been reported for the first time from
Orissa State as well as in Eastern Ghats of India.
Acknowledgement
The Authors take this opportunity and thank the Funding agency, University Grants
Commission (UGC) for providing the necessary funds to carry out the Project successfully.
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