Abstract

A new genus of marine red algae, Parviphycus (Gelidiales), is proposed to accommodate those species previously assigned to Gelidiella that have the following features: distichous patterns of apical division in erect and prostrate axes, axial and periaxial cells in distinctive transverse rows, especially in upper and middle parts of the plants, and stichidia with few and regularly arranged rows of sporangia produced by periaxial cells. The type species is Parviphycus adnatus (Dawson) comb. nov. (basionym: Gelidiella adnata Dawson). Three other nomenclatural combinations are proposed: P. antipai (basionym: Gelidiella antipai Celan), P. tenuissimus (basionym: Gelidiella tenuissima Feldmann et Hamel) and P. womersleyanus (basionym: Gelidiella womersleyana Kraft et Abbott).