Cryptic Cryptogam Revealed: Hypnea Corona (Gigartinales: Cystocloniaceae), A New Red Algal Species Described From The Hypnea Cornuta Complex

The new species Hypnea corona Huisman & Petrocelli is described to accommodate specimens from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and Japan that were previously included in the Hypnea cornuta complex but were shown by recent molecular studies to represent a species-level Glade. Hypnea corona produces distinctive stellate, starch-filled propagules that are easily dislodged and serve as vegetative reproductive structures. However, similar structures are found in closely related species and thus H. corona is distinguished primarily by unique rbcL barcode sequences.