New Stomatocysts Discovered in Sphagnum Peatlands, Central China

Chrysophyte stomatocysts have been studied widely in temperate and arctic regions, while they are rarely investigated in tropical and subtropical areas. The subtropical mountainous region in central China is one of the Global 200 conservation priority ecoregions, due to its high biodiversity. There are some patches of pristine peatlands developed in lowlands of this region, while little knowledge is available on algal distribution in this high biodiversity region. Twenty-four stomatocysts were identified and described in this paper following International Statospore Working Group (ISWG) guidelines and illustrated by SEM micrographs, with eighteen previously described stomatocysts and six new stomatocysts. This is the first comprehensive investigation of stomatocysts in subtropical montane peatlands in central China, which can improve our knowledge on the richness and distribution of stomatocysts in the subtropical region.