Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1981 Laboratory and field tudiess on the Synuraceae (Chrysophyceae) James Lawrence Wee Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Botany Commons Recommended Citation Wee, James Lawrence, "Laboratory and field studies on the Synuraceae (Chrysophyceae) " (1981). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 12393. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/12393 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. 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ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 Laboratory and field studies on the Synuraceae (Chrysophyceae) by t James Lawrence Wee A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Botany Major: Botany (Aquatic Plant Biology) Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. Charge of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Department Signature was redacted for privacy. Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1981 1391737 UMl Number; DP10440 UMl ® UMl Microform DP10440 Copyright 2004 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 LITERATURE REVIEW 6 Systematics 7 Ultrastructure 11 Physiology and Culturing 16 METHODS AND MATERIALS 20 Field Methods 20 General Sample Preparation 21 Electron Microscopy 24 Light Microscopy 28 Nissenbaum's technique 31 Burned mount technique 34 Fixation for light microscopy 36 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 38 Terminology, Variability, and the Concept of Genus and Species within the Synuraceae 39 Mallomonas Perty 43 Series Tripartae 46 Mallomonas acaroides Perty em. Iwanoff 48 Mallomonas pseudocoronata Prescott var. pseudocoronata 49 Mallomonas cratis Harris and Bradley var. cratis 51 Mallomonas cratis Harris and Bradley var. asmundiae Wujek and Van Der Veer 52 Mallomonas striata Asmund 52 Mallomonas striata Asmund var. serrata Harris and Bradley 54 Mallomonas tonsurata Teiling em. Krieger var. tonsurata 55 iii Page Mallomonas tonsurata var. alpina (Pascher and Ruttner) Krieger 57 Mallomonas pillula Harris var. pillula 59 Mallomonas papillosa Harris and Bradley em. Harris var. papillosa 60 Mallomonas annulata (Harris and Bradley) Harris var. annulata 60 Isolated species 62 Mallomonas insignis Penard var. insignis 62 Series Torquatae 63 Mallomonas doignonii Bourrelly var. doignonii 65 Mallomonas mangofera Harris and Bradley var. mangofera 66 Mallomonas pumilo Harris and Bradley var. pumilo 68 Series Planae 69 Mallomonas akrokomos Ruttner in Pascher var. akrokomos 71 Mallomonas multiunca Asmund var. multuinca 73 Mallomonas heterospina Lund var. heterospina 74 Mallomonas caudata Iwanoff em. Krieger var. caudata 76 Mallomonas teilingii Conrad var. teilingii 77 Mallomonopsis Matvienko 78 Mallomonopsis sallna (Asmund and Hilliard) Kristiansen var. salina 79 Mallomonopsis oviformis (Nygaard) Kristiansen var. oviformis 81 Synura Ehrenberg 82 Synura uvella Stein em. Korshikov var. uvella 85 Synura petersenii Korshikov var. petersenii 86 Synura mollisplna (Petersen and Hansen) Peterfi and Momeu var. mollispina 89 Synura curtispina (Petersen and Hansen) Asmund var. curtispina 90 Synura echinulata Korshikov var, echinulata 91 iv Page Paraphysomonas (Stokes) de Saedeleer 93 Paraphysomonas vestita (Stokes) de Saedeleer var. vestita 94 Paraphysomonas imperforata Lucas var. imperforata 95 Paraphysomonas bandiensis Takahashi var. bandiensis 96 Splniferomonas Takahashi 97 Spiniferomonas trioralis Takahashi var. trioralis 98 Spiniferomonas sp. 99 Chrysosphaerella Lauterborn em. Nichols 100 Chrysosphaerella brevispina Korshikov var. brevispina 101 Chrysosphaerella coronacircumspina Wujek and Kristiansen var. coronacircumspina 102 SUMMARY 117 LITERATURE CITED 203 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 219 APPENDIX A. CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIOUS MOUNTING MEDIA CONSIDERED FOR THIS STUDY 221 APPENDIX B. FIXATIVES USED FOR LIGHT MICROSCOPY AND SAMPLE PRESERVATION 224 APPENDIX CI. LOCATION OF COLLECTION SITES IN IOWA 228 APPENDIX C2. LOCATION OF COLLECTION SITES OUTSIDE IOWA 230 APPENDIX D. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL DATA FOR EACH COLLECTION 231, APPENDIX E. KEY TO GENERA AND SPECIES OF SYNURACEAE 233 Explanation of the Keys 233 Key to the Genera of Synuraceae 234 Key to the Species of Chrysosphaerella 235 V Page Key to the Species of Nallomonas Using Keys to Series 237 Key to Series Tripartae 238 Couplets 4-8, the acaroides group 238 Couplets 9-12, the striata group 239 Couplets 13-14, the intermedia group 240 Couplets 15-17, the papillosa group 241 Key to Series Planae 242 Couplets 3-4, the caudata group 243 Couplets 5-9, the punctifera-heterospina group 243 Couplet 10, the akrokomos group 245 Key to Series Torquatae 245 Couplets 3-7, the lychensis group 246 Couplets 8-10, the dolgnonli group 248 Couplets 11-13, the pumilo group 249 Key to the Species Mallomonopsis 250 Couplets 2-3, the elliptica group 250 Couplets 4-5, the paxlllata group 250 Key to the Species of Paraphysomonas 251 Couplets 2-4, the vestita group 251 Couplets 5-10, the butcher! group 252 Key to the Species of Synura 253 Couplet 3, the petersenii group 254 Couplets 4-13, the spinosa group 254 1 INTRODUCTION The Synuraceae (Chrysophyceae), conmonly referred to as the silica-scaled chrysophytes, comprise a widely distributed group of flagellated algae. In Iowa, there have been several comprehensive studies of algae (Fink, 1905; Buchanan, 1907; Prescott, 1927, 1931) as well as many studies on specific lakes or rivers (Bessey, 1882; Smith, 1926; Hayden, 1943; Starret and Patrick, 1952; Kutkuhn, 1958; Smith, 1962; DeLisle 1965). However, prior to 1976 only seven Iowa studies contained identifications of Synuracea beyond the genus level (Table 1). In a previous survey. Wee (1976) and Wee ^ al. (1976) collected and Identified 11 taxa and observed several unidentified species from Iowa. Therefore, a major objective of this study was to examine more completely the Synuraceae of the state. One cause for the paucity of taxonomic information in this family is the difficulty of precise identification. Characteristics of cell and/or colony morphology have proven useful for only a few species and dependable identifications are not possible without examination of scales with the electron microscope. Early workers such as Bessey, Buchanan and Fink may not have reported Synuraceae as algae because they were considered to be protozoans, based on the fact that they are flagellated and that the chlorophylls are masked by the carotenoid pigments. In fact, the first known reports of this group in Iowa (Edmonson, 1906; Spencer, 1917) were made by protozoologists. Fott (1955), Asmund (1955) and Manton (1955) were the first to utilize transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of Synuracean scales 2 Table 1. Synuraceae reported from Iowa, 1900-1975 Worker Taxon Location 1. Edmonson (1906) Mallomonas plossil Perty — 2. Spencer (1917) Mallomonas fresenii S. K. Fairport, Iowa Synura uvella Ehr. Iowa City, Iowa 3. Prescott (1927, Synura uvella Ehr. Johnson County 1931) Synura adamsii G. M. Smith Johnson County 4. Starret and Patrick Synura uvella Ehr. Des Moines River (1952) 5. Kutkuhn (1958) Mallomonas pseudocoronata North Twin Lake Prescott 6. Smith (1962) Synura uvella Ehr. Dead Man's Lake 7. DeLisle, Takahashi, Synura uvella Ehr. Lake Ahquabi and Weeber (1965) Reports are not included unless they are beyond the genus level. 3 as a means of Identification. Kristiansen (1971) and Cronberg (1972, 1973, 1975) published early scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of scales. Electron microscopy has provided so much new information that specialists currently do not consider identifications of species of Synuraceae valid unless they are based on electron microscopic observations. Consequently, many previous studies in which the taxonomy was based upon light microscopy should be reexamined. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy were used as the primary means of identification in this study.