Genetic Variation of Batrachospermum gelatinosum (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta) from Eastern North America
2008
House, Denise L.
Batrachospermum gelatinosum (L.) DC. is a commonly reported freshwater red alga from streams worldwide. The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene has provided phylogeographic insight for other batrachospermalean taxa and was utilized in this study to investigate B. gelatinosum from eleven stream segments in eastern North America. For 10 sites, two haplotypes, differing by one base pair (bp), were revealed; the third haplotype was highly divergent (9.5%) and represented all individuals from a Virginia spring. The plastid encoded RuBisCo large subunit (rbcL) gene, a species level marker, also showed high divergence (4.5%) between this locale and other B. gelatinosum specimens. Morphometrics for whorl diameter, carposporophyte diameter, carpogonium height and width showed mean carposporophyte diameter to be significantly larger (P<0.05) for the Virginia individuals as compared with the others. The Virginia specimens most likely represent a new species. A more sensitive marker may be required to elucidate phylogeographic trends in B. gelatinosum.
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