Lamprothamnium sardoum sp. nov. (Characeae, Streptophyta): A new species of Lamprothamnium for Europe

Abstract

Comprehensive charophyte surveys on the island of Sardinia, Italy revealed a novel species of Lamprothamnium occurring in a salt marsh in the vicinity of San Giovanni Sinis. Most of the discovery and description of charophyte species in Europe took place in the mid–late 1800s, so the discovery of a new species in the region is of note. The species is described and compared with the other species of Lamprothamnium known for the Mediterranean region of Europe and elsewhere. Lamprothamnium sardoum sp. nov. differs from all other species in having antheridia and oogonia clustered internal and external to the axial nodes and on the branchlets, and in the relative absence of sterile whorls, the length and width of its bract cells and decumbent stipulodes, and the persistence of the protonema on mature plants. In addition, data on hydrochemistry and accompanying flora of the Sardinian site of L. sardoum are presented together with proposals for management and conservation.