COMPARATIVE ANATOMY OF CHAROPHYTA: II. THE AXIAL NODAL COMPLEX- AN APPROACH TO THE TAXONOMY OF <em>LAMPROTHAMNIUM</em>.

The present investigation on the axial nodes of 32 taxa belonging to the genera Chara, Lamprothamnium, Nitcllopsis, Nitella and Tolypella confirms previous reports that within a given taxonomic group the structure of the main axial nodal complex is highly consistent. Besides the genera Nitella and Tolypella of the tribe Nitelleae, Lamprothamnium of the tribe Chareae is the only genus in which the central cells of the main axial nodal complex subdivide. This anatomical feature of the main axial nodal complex thus clearly separates the genus Lamprothamnium from the other genera of the tribe Chareae. In 2 controversial species of the genus Chara, C. hornemannii and C. buckellii, the present study reveals that the central cells of their main axial nodal complexes do not subdivide. The transfer of these two species to the genus Lamprothamnium by Daily (1) may not be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]