Numerical classification of the Pacific forms of <i>Chlorodesmis</i> (Chlorophyta)

Abstract

The boundaries of the green algal genus Chlorodesmis are ill defined, and the reported species appear to overlap widely. Fourreen specimens of the large-celled (Pacific) forms have been subjected to critical examination; the specimens had previously been ascribed to three genera and eight species. Six characters (one qualitative, three 3-state, and two numerical) have been used; the numerical characters, for which measures of variation are available, have been subjected to a conventional statistical examination, and all six characters have been used in an analysis of the data by means of the mixed-data classificatory programme MULTIST on the Control Data 3600 at Canberra. The results strongly suggest that the specimens are referable to a single genus with only four species: C. caespitosa J. Agardh, C. comosa Harvey &amp; Bailey, C. major Zanardini, and C. bulbosa (Womersley) Ducker.