Fottea

Fottea 2017, 17(1):34-56 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2016.012

Reinvestigation of African Surirella taxa (Bacillariophyta) described by B.J. Cholnoky with some remarks on digitization of diatom types

Christine Cocquyt¹, Jonathan C. Taylor^2,3, Wolf-Henning Kusber⁴

¹ Botanic Garden Meise, Nieuwelaan 38, B-1860 Meise, Belgium;

² School of Biological Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

³ South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Grahamstown, South Africa

⁴ Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem (BGBM), Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 6-8, D-14195 Berlin, Germany

Cholnoky described several new Surirella taxa from Africa and we have re-investigated this material. As many other of his contemporary authors, especially in the case of description of new African diatoms, Cholnoky did not indicate holotypes. In the present paper original materials are re-evaluated, lectotypes and a holotype are designated and also epitypes whenever it was appropriate. Taxa later transferred to Stenopterobia have not been taken into account. A short description of the seven species concerned (Surirella anassae, S. chasei, S. coei, S. oliffii, S. ostentata = Surirella ovata var. africana, S. pseudotenuis and S. pseudothienemannii) is given based on the original light microscopic descriptions. Additional morphological information based on scanning electron microscopy is added if available. The presently known ecology and distribution of the taxa is given as are other remarks, based on own observations. For each of the seven taxa Cholnoky's original drawings are presented, which were later re-drawn for publication and which are kept in the archive of the South African National Diatom Collection. The results are discussed referring to the outcome of the digitization project of African Surirellaceae (diatoms, microscopic algae) in the frame of the African Plants Initiative.

Keywords: Cholnoky, South Africa, Surirella, taxonomy, types, African Plants Initiative

Received: January 8, 2016; Accepted: April 6, 2016; Prepublished online: February 22, 2017; Published: April 1, 2017  Show citation