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The freshwater red algal genus Sheathia is one of the most species‐rich genera in the Batrachospermales, containing species with heterocortication (both bulbous and cylindrical cells covering the main axis) and homocortication (only cylindrical cells). The hidden diversity of homocorticated Sheathia species has gained research momentum. Recent studies have revised these taxa and described many new species. In this study, a new homocorticated Sheathia species is described and illustrated from Yunnan, China, based on phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data. Sheathia yunnanensis sp. nov is morphologically characterized by having homocortication, carpogonium with bent or slightly constricted lanceolate trichogyne, large carposporophyte and carposporangium. However, it is only distinguishable from other homocorticated species by DNA sequence data. Phylogenetic analyses based on rbcL, COI‐5P, psbA and concatenated rbcL + COI‐5P alignment indicated that Sheathia yunnanensis form an independent clade from other homocorticated Sheathia species with high interspecific divergence (rbcL: 3.9–4.9%/37–54 bp, COI‐5P: 6.1–6.6%/36–39 bp and psbA: 2.2–3.9%/18–32 bp). Sheathia yunnanensis, as the first gametophyte of Sheathia species reported in Yunnan, differs from other Sheathia species reported only as 'Chantransia' sporophyte stage. As a result of this study, the number of Sheathia species recognized in China increased to eight, including one heterocorticate and seven homocorticated including three only known from the 'Chantransia' sporophyte stage. The description of this new species expands the diversity of Sheathia in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the data of longitude, latitude and some important environmental factors of Bactrachospermum, Kumanoa and Sheathia of Batrachospermaceae in China, variance analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to analyze the influence of these environmental factors on the geographical distribution of the three genera and the geographical distribution and growth environment of three genera. Variance analysis and linear discriminant analysis revealed obviously different geographical distribution and growth environment of Bactrachospermum, Kumanoa and Sheathia. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis showed that altitude, average relative humidity, average wind speed, maximum sustainable wind speed and atmospheric pressure were important environmental factors affecting the geographical distribution of the three genera. The results can provide an important scientific basis for studying the ecological distribution and geographical origin of freshwater red algae in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The freshwater red alga Nemalionopsis shawii Skuja is first reported for mainland China from specimens collected in Guangdong and Yunnan Province. Morphological observations and molecular sequences of rbcL and cox1 genes were used to identify and analyze the phylogenetic position of the samples. Samples from China formed a monophyletic clade with other N. shawii samples from Japan, Indonesia, and Nepal with robust support values. The pairwise genetic distances for N. shawii between the samples from China and other samples were 0.2–1.5% and 1.0–2.4% for rbcL and cox1, respectively. Both male and female reproductive structures were observed in the specimens from Guangdong, but only monosporangia in the specimen from Yunnan. The samples from China increase the diversity of morphological measurements for N. shawii. The discovery of this genus in mainland China results in a new record of a freshwater red alga for this country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of the agricultural residue of Phragmites australis to serve as an absorbent material used to remove phenol from aqueous solutions in batch and continuous fixed-bed columns was investigated. Prepared adsorbents were characterized by SEM, FTIR, and pHpzc methods. The equilibrium adsorption (qe) of phenol was increased from 9.61 to 29.40 mg/g when the initial phenol concentrations increased from 50 to 150 mg/L. The max adsorption capacity of Phragmites australis was found to be 29.60 mg/g at 30 °C. In column studies, a higher flow rate, higher initial concentration of phenol, and shorter packing layer height increase the column adsorption capacity of phenol. In a batch and continuous fixed-bed column studies, the experiment data was evaluated by some classic models. Fitting degree between the experimental results shows that the pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics and Langmuir model were the best. Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models were in good agreement with the experimental breakthrough curve data. Both batch and continuous investigation indicated that Phragmites australis could be used as a fine adsorbent to remove phenol and that the adsorption efficiency improved significantly in the column experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collections of Batrachospermales from 13 stream sites in North America (Canada and United States), Europe (Spain) and Asia (China) were examined. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences data from the plastid-encoded ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit gene ( rbcL) and the mitochondrial-encoded cytochrome oxidase 1 gene barcode region (COI-5P), along with morphological studies, suggested that these collections represent new taxa. Three species in a proposed new genus Volatus are described: V. carrionii sp. nov., V. personatus sp. nov. and V. ulterior sp. nov. Four new species of Batrachospermum sensu stricto are also described: B. dapsile sp. nov., B. naiadis sp. nov., B. pozoazulense sp. nov. and B. shanxiense sp. nov. Taxa proposed based on the molecular analyses were in many cases difficult to distinguish with unique morphological characters. The new genus Volatus shares the distinctive characteristic of twisted or curled carpogonium-bearing branches with Kumanoa and Tuomeya but was not sister to either of these genera, suggesting that this character may have arisen at least three times in the order. The three species of Volatus were distinguished from each other based on molecular data and, in part, geographic distribution. The proposed Batrachospermum species B. naiadis sp. nov., B. pozoazulense sp. nov. and B. shanxiense sp. nov. overlap in both vegetative and reproductive characters with each other and B. gelatinosum. Batrachospermum dapsile had a distinguishing character of monosporangia in clusters arising from the periaxial or proximal cells and terminal or subterminal on primary fascicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parachlorella kessleri TY isolated from the lawn soil belongs to Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta. The complete mitogenome of P. kessleri sequenced and described. It is a circular duplex molecule 64,744 bp in length consisting of 28 protein-coding genes, 23 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, four ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and one putative open reading frames (ORFs). Phylogenetic analysis places P. kessleri mitogenome in a branch sister to Picochlorum sp., Lobosphaera incisa, and Chloroparvula sp., clade in which Picochlorum as P. kessleri also reported as oil-rich green microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An enigmatic acrochaetioid alga was collected from Niangziguan spring in Shanxi Province, northern China. Morphological data indicated that this alga reproduces exclusively asexually by monosporangia and its morphological characteristics suggested that it might be referred to Audouinella heterospora. To ascertain its phylogenetic position, phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using partial sequences of the plastid-encoded gene (rbc L) and the nuclearencoded gene (SSU rDNA) applying Bayesian inference (BI), maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML). However, phylogenetic reconstructions showed that this acrochaetioid alga does not belong in a clade with the genus Audouinella, but forms a clade with Th orea hispida (Th oreales). Based on this analysis it is concluded that A. heterospora represents the 'chantransia' stage of T. hispida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mnium cuspidatum Hedw. from the Bashuigou landscape of the Guandi Mountains, Shanxi Province, China, found to be associated with a cyanobacterium that was successfully isolated and cultivated under axenic conditions and designated as Microcoleus sp. GD based on its morphology. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA alone and of the 16S rRNA combined with the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and the presence of an 11-bp insert in the 16S rRNA gene, indicated that Microcoleus sp. GD was as Microcoleus vaginatus. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that Microcoleus sp. GD formed a well-supported clade with aquatic epipelic strains of M. vaginatus from the Czech Republic and with desert strains from the USA. Microcoleus sp. GD was more closely related to the aquatic strains living at the seciment/water interface. The secondary structure of the 16S-23S ITS showed that the Box-B helix of Microcoleus sp. GD was structurally was similar to these strains but quite different from the desert strains. Furthermore, the D1-D1′ helices of all strains varied but Microcoleus sp. GD was again most similar to the aquatic strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, examinations based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses have begun to reveal the diversity of photobionts in lichen symbioses. However, still little is known regarding genetic diversity and ecological adaptation of algal partners in lichen symbioses. In this study, we investigated the photobiont Chlorella 'sp. GC' (Trebouxiophyceae), a partner of Porpidia crustulata from the Guancen Mountains, China. We examined the relationship between photobiont layer thickness and Porpidia crustulata growth over a 6-year period (2007-2012). Although Porpidia crustulata exhibited moderate growth rates (0.4-0.62 mm year), photobiont layer became increasingly thinner over the six-year period. We speculate that prolonged exposure to sunlight and desiccation may deleteriously alter photobiont morphology and physiology. Porpidia crustulata may be forced into a state of physiological dormancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four endemic Batrachospermaceae species in China, Batrachospermum hongdongense Xie & Feng, Batrachospermum longipedicellatum Hua & Shi, Kumanoa curvata (Shi) Vis et al., and Kumanoa intorta (Jao) Entwisle et al., were analyzed with multilocus data in order to assess their phylogenetic placement. Multilocus molecular data from one nuclear gene (the ribosomal SSU), one chloroplast gene ( rbcL), and two mitochondrial genes ( COI and the cox2-3 spacer) as well as morphological studies were used to determine the phylogenetic relationships of these endemic species within the Batrachospermales. Batrachospermum hongdongense and B. longipedicellatum had previously been placed in Batrachospermum section Batrachospermum, but based on the data from this study they should be transferred into section Helminthoidea. Kumanoa curvata and K. intorta clearly belong to the newly established genus Kumanoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The algal photobiont of the lichen Porpidia crustulata from the Guancen Mountains was successfully cultivated under axenic conditions and tentatively designated as Chlorella sp. GC. The phylogenetic analysis of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase ( rbcL) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) nucleotide sequence data revealed that this alga is closely related to C. sorokiniana. There are clear morphological differences between Chlorella sp . GC associated with Porpidia crustulata and the free-living C. sorokiniana, the former having a larger central pyrenoid. Based on our genetic and morphological characterization, the Chlorella photobiont of Porpidia crustulata is distinct from closely related Chlorella species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]