Charophytes of Chile – taxonomy and distribution. Part 2. Subfamily Nitelleae

Field investigations from all over Chile combined with a check of herbarium collection increased the number of species within the subfamily Nitelleae known for Chile from 6 to 16. Nitella flexilis, N. acuminata, N. clavata, N. bonaerensis, N. lechleri and Tolypella apiculata have been previously recorded from Chile. N. flexilis and N. clavata are common, N. acuminata and N. bonaerensis are rare. Tolypella apiculata was not recorded in our collections. Nitella lechleri, up to now only recorded from its type locality, was found in several sites. Eight species known from other South American countries were recorded in Chile for the first time. Nitella opaca occurred in several sites in the southern part of the country. N. mucronata, N. pygmaea and TV. gracilis were found in a few sites, and N. arechavaletae and Tolypella glomerata in one site each in southern Patagonia. N. tenuissima and N. hyalina were recorded from 10 and 22 sites, respectively. Nitella dilatata and N. asagrayana, up to now only described for North (and Central) America were found in one and 33 sites, respectively. For all taxa, records from Chile and surrounding countries are summarized; information is given on type material and identification; images are given for most species. Neither Nitella furcata (s.l.) nor section Migularia. both common in eastern South America, were recorded from Chile. We assume that the Andean high mountain range efficiently prevents dispersal across the continent, but that oospores are transported by waterfowl between North America and Chile. High variability of "diagnostic" characters hampers species determination.