records of some epiphytic coralline algae in the north-east of ireland
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Records of Some Epiphytic Coralline Algae in the North-East of IrelandAuthor(s): Osborne Morton and Yvonne M. Chamberlain (Mrs Y. M. Butler)Source: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 21, No. 10 (Apr., 1985), pp. 436-440Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25538920 .
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436 Ir. Nat. J. Vol. 21 No. 10 1985
RECORDS OF SOME EPIPHYTIC CORALLINE ALGAE IN THE NORTH-EAST OF IRELAND
Osborne Morton
Department of Botany and Zoology, Ulster Museum, Belfast 9
Yvonne M. Chamberlain (Mrs Y. M. Butler)
The Marine Laboratory, Portsmouth Polytechnic, Ferry Road, Hay ling Island, POII ODG
In the north-east of Ireland the epiphytic crustose coralline algae have rarely been recorded. This, no doubt, is because they are smaller and more difficult to find and identify than the larger corallines. Nevertheless, epiphytic corallines are not rare on the shore, often
two or three species may be found growing on the surface of a single host. The records of some of these smaller corallines are discussed and listed below.
Unless otherwise stated all the specimens mentioned were collected (OM) and determined (YMC) by the authors between 1975 and 1983. The names of Pneophylfum species are in accordance with Chamberlain (1983). All specimens collected by OM are in BEL
Melobesia membranacea (Esper) Lamour. (Table la).
Although a relatively common species, M. membranacea has only been recorded
infrequently in Ireland and apparently has simply not been noticed. According to Guiry (1978) there are no published records of it from Cos Londonderry, Antrim or Down,
although it has been recorded from elsewhere in Ireland and Lemoine (1913 ? as Epilithon) provides a detailed description of material from the Clare Island area. We have found it
commonly as an epiphyte on various species of algae, but most frequently on Furcellaria lumbricalis (Huds.) Lamour.
Dermatolithon corallinae (P. Crouan and H. Crouan) Fosl. (Table lb). D. corallinae is recorded in the literature only once from the north-east of Ireland:
Johnson and Hensman (1896 ? as Melobesia) collected it by dredging on 4 July 1896 on the
north side of Belfast Lough. They recorded it as a new species for the north-east of Ireland; the determination has not been recently confirmed however. Elsewhere in Ireland it has been recorded from Cos Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Cork, Waterford and Dublin (Guiry 1978).
Dermatolithon litorale (Suneson) Lemoine (Table lc) This species has previously been recorded in Ireland only from Cos Cork and Galway
(Chamberlain 1978b). On 27 August 1980 specimens of Furcellaria lumbricalis were collected which bore both Melobesia membranacea and D. litorale. This was believed to be the first collection of D. litorale in the NE of Ireland, but further study revealed a specimen of D. litorale epiphytic on Mastocarpus stellatus (Stackh.) Guiry (= Gigartina stellata) which had been collected by Sylvanus Wear in 1915 from a mid-tide pool in North Bay, Portrush (BEL: F455). Dermatolithon pustulatum (Lamour.) Fosl. (Table Id)
According to Guiry (1978) D. pustulatum has been recorded from several counties in Ireland: Mayo, Galway, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Dublin and once from Co
Antrim by Dickie (1871 ? as '"Melobesiapustulata Lam.''). In addition Lemoine (1913
?
SisLithophyllum) describes specimens from the Clare Island area. Recently it has been found at a number of sites in Cos Antrim and Down and it seems probable that it is more common
than the published records suggest. Pneophyllum confervicola (Kiitz.) Chamberlain (Table le)
(Syn. Fosliella minutula (Fosl.) Ganesan) This apparently rare species was first recorded in the literature from the north of Ireland
in Chamberlain (1983 p. 392 as P. confervicolum) where it was noted as having been
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Ir. Nat. 7. Vol. 21 No. 10 1985 437
Table 1. Recently collected specimens of epiphytic coralline algae in the Ulster Museum Herbarium
(BEL)
Host Location Grid ref Date
(a) Melobesia membranacea (Esper) Lamour.
Co Londonderry:? Eurcellaria lumbricalis nr Rinagree Pt C8339 25. 5.83
Mastocarpus stellatus nr Rinagree Pt C8339 25. 5.83
Co Antrim:?
Chondrus crispus Portmuck D4602 18. 4.75 F'. lumbricalis The Gobbins J4897 13.6.75
Cladophora pellucida Garron Pt D3023 5.8.76 Laminaria holdfast Murlough Bay Dt942 13.4.77 Laurencia pinnatifida Ringfad D2920 10. 8.78 M. stellatus Ringfad D2920 10. 8.78 M. stellatus Colliery Bay D1542 19. 9.78 F. lumbricalis nr Giant's Causeway C9444 27.8.80
Chaetomorpha sp. nr Giant's Causeway C9444 27. 8.80
Laminaria holdfast nr Giant's Causeway C9444 27. 8.80
L. pinnatifida Glenarm Bay D3015 9. 3.83 Co Down.?
Polysiphonia (elongata?) Roily Is J5264/J5164 29. 3.75 Chondrus crispus Mewls J6085 13. 7.75
Cladophora pellucida Ballyhenry Is J5752 11. 9.75 Ulva lactuca Ardkeen J5956 27. 9.75
Polysiphonia elongata Granagh Bay J6048 13. 3.76 P. elongata Doctor's Bay J5962 13. 3.76 C. pellucida Ardkeen J5956 5. 6.76 F. lumbricalis Ardkeen J5956 5. 6.76 M. stellatus nr Kearney J6551 9.5.77
F. lumbricalis nr Kearney J6551 9. 5.77
Laminaria holdfast Lighthouse Is J5985 10. 6.78 M. stellatus Kinnegar Rocks J5977 20. 4.83 F. lumbricalis Kinnegar Rocks J5977 20. 4.83 F. lumbricalis nr Ballyhalbert J6662 22. 6.83
M. stellatus Kinnegar Rocks J5977 2.11.83 (b) Dermatolithon corallinae (P. Crouan & H. Crouan) Fosl.
Co Antrim:?
F. lumbricalis nr Giant's Causeway C9444 27. 8.80
Among boulders of a semi-exposed shore in the upper laminarian zone.
Assoc. M. membranacea and D. litorale.
Co Down:?
F. lumbricalis nr Kearney J6551 9. 5.77
From a large, but shallow, rock pool among boulders in the mid-littoral of a relatively sheltered
part of the shore.
Assoc: M. membranacea, D. pustulatum and P. microsporum.
(c) Dermatolithon litorale (Suneson) Lemoine
Co Antrim:?
F. lumbricalis nr Giant's Causeway C9444 27.8.80
Among boulders of a semi-exposed shore in the upper laminarian zone.
Assoc: M. membranacea and D. corallinae.
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438 Ir. Nat. J. Vol. 21 No. 101985
Table J (continued)
(d) Dermatolithon pustulatum (Lamour.) Fosl.
Co Antrim:?
M. stellatus Ringfad D2920 10. 8.78
On semi-exposed boulder shore in F. serratus zone.
Assoc: M. membranacea.
L. pinnatifida Ringfad D2920 10. 8.78
On semi-exposed boulder shore in F. serratus zone.
Assoc: M. membranacea.
M. stellatus Colliery Bay D1542 19. 9.78
Exposed shore of small tidal range.
Co Down:?
C. crispus Ardkeen J5956 27. 9.75
From the low littoral in a site of strong tidal flow.
C. crispus Granagh Bay J6048 13.3.76
M. stellatus nr Kearney J6551 9.5.77
From a large, but shallow, rockpool among boulders in the mid-littoral of a relatively sheltered
part of the shore.
F. lumbricalis nr Kearney J6551 9. 5.77
From a large, but shallow, rockpool among boulders in the mid-littoral of a relatively sheltered
part of the shore.
Assoc: M. membranacea, D. corallinae and P. microsporum.
Laminaria holdfast Lighthouse Is J5985 11.6.78
Low littoral exposed shore.
M. stellatus Kinnegar Rocks J5977 2.11.83
In a gully in the rock at low littoral on a semi-exposed shore.
(e) Pneophyllum confervicola (Kiitz.) Chamb.
Co Antrim:?
Cladophora rupestris nr Giant's Causeway C9444 27. 8.80
Among boulders of a semi-exposed shore in the upper laminarian zone.
Co Down:?
Polysiphonia elongata Roily Is J5264/J5265 29.3.75
Drift
P. (elongata?) Roily Is J5264/J5164 29.3.75
Drift
P. (elongata?) Roily Is J5264 29. 3.75 Drift
C. rupestris Ardkeen J5956 27. 9.75
From the low littoral in a site of strong tidal flow. Noted to have male, female (monoecious crust)
and tetrasporangial conceptacles (YMC).
Plocamium cartilagineum Ballyhenry Is J5751 15. 2.76
About 40ft (~ 12m.) below low water mark leg. B. Picton. The Plocamium was itself epiphytic on Laminaria sp.
Polysiphonia elongata Granagh Bay J6048 13. 3.76
Low littoral.
P. elongata Doctor's Bay J5962 13. 3.76
Low littoral on stony and muddy shore.
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/r.Ate.y.VoL.21No. 101985 439
Table 1 (continued)
(f) Pneophyllum concollum Chamb.
Co Antrim:?
F. lumbricalis nr Giant's Causeway C9444 27. 8.80
From a shallow rockpool with sand, of the upper laminarian zone, on a semi-exposed shore.
(g) Pneophyllum microsporum (Rosenv.) Chamb.
Co Down:?
F. lumbricalis nr Kearney J6551 9. 5.77
From a large, but shallow, rockpool among boulders in the mid-littoral of a relatively sheltered
part of the shore.
Assoc: M. membranacea, D. corallinae and D. pustulatum.
recorded in Cos Antrim, Down, Wexford, Cork, Clare and Galway as well as in England, Scotland and Wales.
A specimen was also found epiphytic on the same specimen of Mastocarpus stellatus (F455) collected by S. Wear in 1915 mentioned previously under Dermatolithon litorale.
Pneophyllum concollum Chamberlain (Table If) This recently described species (Chamberlain 1983 p. 402) has been recorded in
Ireland from Cos Wexford, Clare and Galway. In 1980 a specimen from Co Antrim was
collected, it was determined in 1983 and so far it is the only record of the species from the north of Ireland.
Pneophyllum microsporum (Rosenvinge) Chamberlain (Table lg) Three specimens of this species new to the north of Ireland and only recently
discovered in the British Isles (Chamberlain 1983) were found on 9 May 1977 near
Kearney, Co Down (J6551). They were epiphytic on Furcellaria lumbricalis in association with Melobesia membranacea and Dermatolithon corallinae. Elsewhere in Ireland it has been recorded from Cos Galway and Clare (Chamberlain 1983).
The above records of epiphytic Corallinaceae suggest that some of the species are
probably more common than their published records indicate. This is particularly true of Melobesia membranacea. Newton (1931 as Lithothamnion) noted that the species was: "Not uncommon; widely distributed" yet, like the other species, it has been rarely recorded in the literature, lt seems probable that this is partly because of their small size
(Pneophyllum confervicola crusts, for example, do not exceed 2mm in diameter; see
Chamberlain, 1983), and partly because of difficulties of identification. Certain algae appear to provide particularly favourable surfaces for these epiphytes,
especially: Mastocarpus stellatus, Chondrus crispus, and Furcellaria lumbricalis. Of the
specimens of F. lumbricalis in the Ulster Museum (BEL) over 80% bear epiphytes, mostly Melobesia membranacea. This host preference has already been noted in Chamberlain
(1978 p. 243).
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Mrs L. M. Irvine for her determination of one specimen oi Melobesia membranacea and to Mr Picton for the specimen of Pneophyllum confervicola which he collected.
REFERENCES
Chamberlain. Y. M. (!978a) Investigations of taxonomic relationships among epiphytic. crustoseCorallinaceae. In D.E.G. Irvine and J. H. Price (Eds), Modern approaches to the taxonomy of red and brown algae: 223-246. Systematica Association Special Vol 10. London.
-(1978b) Dermatolithon litorale (Suneson) Hamel and Lemoine (Rhodophyta. Corallinaceae) in the
British Isles. Phycohgia 17: 396-402.
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440 Ir. Nat. J. Vol. 21 No. 10 1985
-(1983) Studies in the Corallinaceae with special reference to Fosliella and Pneophyllum in the British
Isles. Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Bot.) 11: 291-463.
Dickie, G. (1871) Notes on the distribution of algae. J. Bot., Lond. 9: 70-72.
Guiry, M. D. (1978) A Concensus and Bibliography of Irish Seaweeds. Cramer, Vaduz.
Johnson, T. and Hensman, R. (1896) Algae from the north side of Belfast Lough. (Dredged by the BNFC
expedition, 4 July 1896). Ir. Nat. 5: 252-253.
Lemoine, P. (1913) Melobesiees de l'ouest de ITrlande (Clew Bay). Archs Mus. nam. Hist. nat. Paris (5) 5:
121-145.
Newton, L. (1931) A Handbook of the British Seaweeds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London.
NOTES ON THE ECOLOGY OF SARRACENIA PURPUREA L. ON IRISH PEATLANDS
P. J. FOSS AND C. A, O'CONNELL
Botany Department, University College, Dublin, Bel fie Id, Dublin 4
The pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea L.) was introduced to Ireland late in the 19th
century. It was established on a raised bog near Lisduff, Co Laois (H14). Herbarium
specimens lodged in the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, were collected there by Levinge in 1892. A subsequent letter from Lord Castletown attached to the herbarium sheet, and dated May 1910, indicates that the plant had "died out" in the area.
Sarracenia purpurea was re-introduced to Ireland by Lefroy in 1906 (and not in 1904 as previously reported by Kertland [1968]) who brought some roots and seeds from Canada and planted them on Derrycashel bog, west of Termonbarry in Co Roscommon (H25)
(Praeger 1932, Slack 1979). The plant subsequently spread prolifically and covered 32 ha of this bog by 1927. This species is a native of north-America, where two subspecies are known. The subspecies introduced to Ireland by Lefroy was subsp. purpurea, which occurs from New Jersey northwards to Arctic Canada (Slack 1979). This subspecies can be
distinguished from the southern one, subsp. venosa (Raf.) Fern., by its leaf morphology and more northerly distribution (Krajina 1968).
Subsequent to its initial planting at Derrycashel, Sarracenia was transplanted to other
ombrotrophic peatlands, in counties Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Kildare, Roscommon and
Mayo. This was mainly in response to the planned exploitation of Derrycashel by Bord na Mona in 1963. However, Bord na Mona agreed to set aside 12 ha of bog supporting Sarracenia. The history and subsequent naturalisation oiSarracenia purpurea at its various
sites in Ireland has been documented by Praeger (1932), Kertland (1968), Newell (1968), Nelson and De Vesci (1981) and Foss and O'Connell (1984).
A number of Sarracenia sites were visited from August 1982 to April 1984. A series of
vegetation descriptions (releves) were taken at each site. Releves were sampled according to the Braun-Blanquet method (Westhoff and Van der Maarel 1978). Information on the
habitat, the plant vigour and extent were noted for each site. Nomenclature for higher plants follows Clapham, Tutin and Warburg (1981). Nomenclature for liverworts, mosses and lichens follows Watson (1981), Smith (1978) and Dobson (1979) respectively. The
nomenclature for syntaxa follows White and Doyle (1982). At present Sarracenia is known from raised bog sites at Derrycashel, Co Roscommon;
Woodfield, Co Offaly (H18); Mouds Bog, Co Kildare (H19); Abbeyleix, Co Laois (H14); and on blanket bog at Bellacorick, Co Mayo (H27). Three further Sarracenia sites have been reported, however the current status of the plant at these locations is unclear, as we did not refind the plant during our investigation. At Coolatore, Co Westmeath (H23) the plant was last reported by Kertland (1968). At that time it still survived in a number of small
groups which did not appear to be spreading, because the peat was too dry as a result of local
peat cutting. At Derrydoan, Co Westmeath (H23) Sarracenia was established by J. O.
Bollard, and eighteen clumps of the plant were recorded in 1973 by M. Scannell (herbarium
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