Arthrospira maxima Setch. & N.L.Gardner

• Region

  North America

• Country

  United States of America

• State/Province

  California

• County/Municipio

  Alameda Co.

• City/Township

  Oakland

• Coordinates

  37.8044, -122.271

• Coordinate Uncertainty (m)

  12896

• Georeferencing Method

  GEOLocate Web Application. Used the GEOLocate Web Application to georeference to the city center.

• Distribution

  Map all specimens of this taxon

Gardner

Arthrospira maxima Setchell &

Univ.Calif.Fubl.Bot. 614:377. p}.33.

sp.nov.
f.3. 30 Je

I-

1917.

BOTjV

TTatans t aeruginea, in algis aliis intermixta;
trichomatibus 7-9 p. diam., laxe et aperte spiralibus,

3-8 flexubus compositis, 40-60 p diam.,anfractibus 70-80
u inter se dietantibus, non torulosis; cellulis 5-7 )i
longis , dissepimentis distinctis; granulis numerosis,
crassis, angulatis, refringentibusque et in dissepimentis
frequenter dense aggregatis; cellula apioalibus rotundatis,
membrana leviter incrassatis.

Trichomes 7-9 ji diam., forming an open regular spiral
of^3-6 turns 40-60 ji diam., 70-80 u between the turns,
slightly tapering at the ends; cells 5-7 p. long, not con-
stricted, with numerous, coarse, angular, refringent granules
frequently crowded at the partitions; end walls of the terminal
cells rounded, slightly thickened; color verdigris.

Floating in abundance among other species of Oyanophyceae
in warm salt water. Key Route Power-house, OaklandCalifornia.

July ¿916.

The habitat of Arthrospira maxima is rather unusual. The salt
water is pumped from San Francisco Bay into a series of ponds of
considerable size. It is then pumped through the electric power-
house for condensing steam; it there becomes heated to about 60°

0. and is then allowed to run out where it is cooled again to the
temperature of the air before being pumped back into the power-
house. It thus appears that the plant is subjected to these rather
unusual extremes of heat several times a dav and vet thrives
abundantly.

The genus Splrulina was established by Turpin in 1827 (Turpin,
1627, p.b09). Fe did not mention the transverse cell walls, These
cell walls are quite obscure in the small forms of the genus, and
this fact led later algologists to regard them as unicellular
plants. In 1.852, Stizenberger (1852, p. 32) founded the genus
^4.tnrospira to receive a spirally twisted filamentous form whose
transverse cell walls are plainly visible. Thus the only apparent
morphological difference between the two genera is the stated
difference regarding the transverse walls.

_	•	4,

This distinction is made use of by Gomont (189 2,
r>p.95—96), by Forti (1907, p. 145), and by Firchner,

(1900, p. 63). By employing methods of differential
staining, Professor W. A.Setchell and I have determin-
ed repeatedly that this distinction can no longer main-
tain. The small,tightly coiled forms are really multi-
cellular, and hence no fundamental difference exists
between the two genera. However, since the described
species are few and there is not likely to be a very
large number of new species added in the future, and
since the forms thus far discovered fall rather natural-
ly into two groups, those very small tightly coiled
species with obscure cross-walls, and those rather loose-
ly but regularly coiled species with conspicuous cross-
walls, all of which are fairly well known, it seems wise,
for the sake of convenience, to retain both genera, and
emend the diagnosis of Spirulina. Certain species of
Phormidium and Oscillatoria,can scarcely be distinguished
as to the principal generic character, the presence or
absence of a sheath. All species of phormidium are at
times of active growth after formation of hormogonia
without a sheath, and some well-recognized species of
oscillatoria may, under certain conditions, develop a
sheath. I have observed this in 0. sanct*. The two genera
are thus not absolutely distinct, but for convenience they
are both kept up. Again, some of the small species of both
genera have very obscure cross-walls. In this respect the:"
bear the same relation to the larger species with definite
cross-walls that Spirulina bears to Arthrospira; but in
neither Phormidim nor Oscillatoria has this been consider-
ed sufficient to warrant generic distinction. The genus
ArthroSpita would doubtless never have been established if
the real character of Spirulina had been known at the time.

A very close relationship exists between Spirulina	*

and Arthrospira, on one hand, and a group of species of	jo

Tyngbya on the other, as regards the Spirally twisting	g

character. Iloebius (1689, p. 312) described a new genus	o

from Brazil which he called Spirocoleus Lagerheimii, concern-
ing which he say "Diese Alge, für welche ich eine neue Gattung
aufstellen muss, steht zu Spirulina in demselben Verhaltniss
wie Lyngbya#^g.zu Oscillaria Bose.,indem die schraubenförmig
gedtehten Faden mit einer deutlichen Scheide versehen sind.”

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