In continuing studies on the taxonomy of non-geniculate, coralline
algae from South Africa, stipes of the kelp, Ecklonia maxima,
in the
subtidal zone of Western Cape Province, were frequently observed to be
covered
with rosy-pink encrusting coralline algae. The
reproductive morphology and anatomy of these plants show that they belong
to
the subfamily Melobesioideae and the genus
Synarthrophyton. The specimens agree closely with the holotype
of
Lithothamnion capense f. eckloniae described by Foslie
on
the basis of South African material. Synarthrophyton eckloniae
is
described in detail; the species appears to be endemic to Western Cape
Province.
Another crustose coralline alga from the subtidal zone of South Africa
was found
to be conspecific with a syntype of Lithothamnion
magellanicum and the lectotype and isolectotype of Lithothamnion
muelleri f. neglecta. These are now shown to conform to the
generic
concept of Synarthrophyton on the basis of their concordance with
the characters of that genus. South African material of S. magellanicum
is compared with the type specimen of Lithophyllum schmitzii with
which
it had been synonymized and it is concluded that the two
species are distinct. It can be distinguished from type specimens of
Lithothamnion lamellatum and L. chatamense, with which
previous
authors had suggested it might be conspecific, on the basis of anatomical
characters, despite similarity in habit. The last two species have
not been recorded in South Africa.