Diversity of Batrachospermales (Rhodophyta) in the Iberian Peninsula

Fifty-four streams of the Iberian Peninsula were investigated to document the species richness and phylogeny of Batrachospermum and morphologically similar genera, determine phylogenctic affinities of taxa and infer biogeographic trends. Species were identified using morphology and DNA sequence data for the rbcL gene as follows: Batrachospermum gelatinosun:, B. pozoazulense, Paludicola keratophvta, Sheathia arcuata, S. boryana, S. confusa, Torularia atra, Virescentia helminthosa, V. vogesiaca, and Volatus carrionii. Batrachospermum gelatinosum and S. boryana were most frequent (sampled from 16 and 11 streams, respectively). Torularia atra and V. vogesiaca were each collected in a single stream, whereas the other five taxa were present in three to six streams. Virescentia vogesiaca is well known from other parts of Europe but had previously not been reported from the Iberian Peninsula. Biogeographic trends based on DNA sequence data show a flora with most species being well represented in parts of Europe, two taxa (B. gelatinosum and V. carrionii) that are shared between Europe and North America, one between Europe and South America (Paludicola keratophyta) and one cosmopolitan species (T. atra). Previous studies reported twelve taxa in the region using current taxonomy. This study has confirmed seven of these taxa with sequence data and morphology.

Automated summary

This study investigated the species richness and phylogeny of Batrachospermum and similar genera in 54 streams of the Iberian Peninsula. DNA sequence data showed biogeographic trends with most species well represented in Europe, and confirmed seven taxa previously reported in the region. Batrachospermum gelatinosum and Sheathia boryana were the most frequent species, while Virescentia vogesiaca was previously unreported in the Iberian Peninsula.