Platessa arborea sp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae): A new tree moss dwelling diatom from the Eastern Himalayas, India

Platessa arborea sp. nov. new monoraphid diatom species is described from the tree moss habitat of India’s Sikkim state from the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. This new species was described based on light and scanning electron micrographs and compared to morphologically similar taxa. Platessa arborea seems to have an affinity for the aerial habitat and has certain unique morphological features distinct from all the other Platessa species, such as its narrowly rounded apices, wide axial area, and the presence of predominantly uniseriate striae with unusually thick striae density. In India, there have been previous reports of some species from the genera Achnanthes and Cocconeis, which have been eventually transferred to the genus Platessa. However, this is the first formal documentation of the Platessa genus from India.