Chara baltica (Charophyceae, Charales) from the Black Sea Region and Taxonomic Implications of Extrastipulodes

Abstract

Chara baltica (Hartm.) Bruz. was found in the bays of the northern part of the Black Sea as a result of our joint efforts for clarification of some charophyte species from the region. The species was reported new to Ukraine. This is the first reliable record of this species in the Black Sea Region and Russia. In the studied populations, C. baltica had a variable arrangement of stipulodes because of the presence of extrastipulodes as a common trait. The morphology of the specimens studied may suggest a possible explanation of old uncheckable regional records of C. horrida Wahlst., species known from the Baltic Sea only. The worldwide range of C. baltica was summarised with a map according to the published records, GBIF data and some checked specimens. It highlighted the records, which need to be confirmed. The presence of extrastipulodes in the specimen studied, as well as the indication and illustration of some species of charophytes, allowed to suggest several additions to the terminology of charophyte morphology useful for further studies. Their application was demonstrated with the specimens studied and the illustrations published elsewhere.

Charophytes (Charophyceae, Charales) of South Kazakhstan: Diversity, Distribution, and Tentative Red List

“…Jumakhanova et al, 2021 [ 23 ] and this work). The presence of C. aculeolata , C. baltica , C. fragifera , C. galioides , C. hispida , C. schaffneri , C. strigosa , and N. confervacea is questionable from the perspective of species distribution and ecology [ 7 , 80 , 81 , 82 ], and Romanov (personal communication) needs confirmation. Therefore, actual species richness before our studies could be greatly overestimated because of some misidentifications.…”

The Charophytes (Charophyceae, Characeae) from Dagestan Aquatic Habitats, North Caucasus: Biogeographical and Barcoding Perspectives

“…Coastal water bodies threatened from both land and sea sides are some of the most endangered and shrinking habitats worldwide [127,128]. There is no assessment of charophyte habitat loss at the coast of the Caspian Sea available, but a long-term negative trend is notable for the Black Sea region, where it has already resulted in a significant decrease in charophyte biomass and their community areas [47,[129][130][131]. Some lagoons in this region harbor gyrogonites and oospores in bottom sediments, whereas charophyte stands seem to be lacking [132,133].…”

Syntaxonomy of Charophyte Algal Communities in the Northeastern Part of the Black Sea (Russia)

“…Chara baltica (Hartman) Bruzelius was identified in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov only recently and was not previously mentioned for these areas [9]. Previously, all collections of charophytes from the north-western part of the Black Sea, as well as the bays of the Azov Sea, were usually attributed to the species C. papillosa Kütz., known here under the epithets C. aculeolata Kütz.…”