Desmids of the Basrah District, South Iraq

✍ Scribed by Adil Y. Al-Handal

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 635 KB
• Volume: 80
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1434-2944
• DOI: 10.1002/iroh.19950800112

✦ Synopsis

79 taxa of desmids belongig to 17 genera were observed in 17 samples collected from several parts in Basrah district, South Iraq. 3 genera viz. Acrinotueniurn, Docidium and Spondylosurn, and 41 taxa are new records for Iraqi waters. Distribution of taxa in the area studied as well as in the whole country (when available) are given. Some slight morphological variations in desmids were observed due to the alkaline nature of water. A. Y. AL-HANDAL Family Mesotaeniaceae *Cyfindrocystis brebissonii (MENEGH. ex RALFS) DE BARY (Pl. 6, fig. 73) L: 30-64 pm, Family Gonatozygaceae *Gonatozygon kinahanii (ARCH.) RALFS (Pl. 5, fig. 52) L: 226-356 pm, W: 16-18 pm. Specimens found here are quite similar to those illustrated by GERRATH and JOHN (1988) but cell ends are not clearly dilated at apices. Samples: D 2 1, D 25. W: 14-17 pm. Samples: D 17, D 18 and D 29. Family Peniaceae Penium spirostriofatum BARKER (Pl. 2, fig 2 1) L: 2 15-230 pm, W: 9-23 pm. Two specimens were observed in the sample D 28. Cell wall is dark brown in colour, strongly striate and punctate.

Family Closteriaceae Closterium acerosum (SCHRANK) EHR. ex RALFS (PI. 2, fig. 16) L: 296-420 pm, W: 3.4-5 pm. The specimens observed here are slightly different from those illustrated by other authors in that the dorsal margin is slightly inflated and appears as straight in the middle part of the cell. Samples: D 14, D 15, D 17 and D 18.