Grateloupia tenuis Wang et Luan sp. nov. (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta): A New Species from South China Sea Based on Morphological Observation and rbcL Gene Sequences Analysis

Table 2

Comparison of morphological characteristics between Grateloupia  tenuis and other closely related species.

Morphological; characteristics	G.  tenuis	G.  filicina	G.  catenata	G.  ramosissima	G.  orientalis
Thallus habit	Fewer branches and main axes relatively slight; two or three dichotomous branches; 4–7 cm high	Erect axes; several terete to flattened; blades with irregularly pinnate branchlets; 9–12 cm high	Erect axes; terete to compressed branches and tapering towards tapex; up to 35 cm high	Erect axes; linear to several lanceolate blades; 13–22 cm high, up to 1 mm wide	Thalli terete to slightly compressed branches bearing irregularly pinnate branches; 10–16 cm high
Texture	Slippery and cartilaginous	Mucilaginous; and hard	Gelatinous	Cartilaginous	Gelatinous to; cartilaginous
Cortex (C)	C: 5-6 layers	C: 5–8 layers	C: 6–14 layers	C: 8-9 layers	C: 6–9 layers
Medullary	Hollow	Solid	Hollow	Solid	Hollow
Location of reproductive structures	Main axes and lower portions of branches	Proliferations and upper portions of thallus	Whole thallus	Entire thalli	Whole thalli except the basal parts
Distribution	Lingshui, Hainan province, China	Italy, France,; Spain	China, Japan, Korea	Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam,; Philippine	Taiwan
Reference	This study	Kawaguchi et al., 2001 [3]	Wang et al., 2000 [1]; Lee et al., 2009 [20]	Lin et al., 2008 [9]	Lin et al., 2008 [9]; Zhang et al., 2012 [12]