Evidence for sexual reproduction in the red algae Palmaria palmata and Halosaccion ramentaceum
Plants believed to be female gametophytes of Palmaria palmata and Halosaccion ramentaceum have been discovered in culture. Tetraspores of diploid tetrasporophytes gave rise to two types of haploid sporelings, one of which grew much more robustly and was less branched than the other. A 1:1 ratio of the two types was obtained from random spores and a 2:2 segregation occurred within individual meiotic tetrads. The more robust plants proved to be males which matured relatively quickly and produced abundant spermatangia. The smaller plants, those believed to be females, grew much more slowly and eventually formed sporangia. However, these aborted without releasing viable spores. Nuclear division within the sporangia appeared to be a haploid meiosis. Fertile tetrasporic fronds of P. palmata were obtained from gametophytes in culture on one occasion, and these gave rise to a second generation of segregating sporelings. A life history for P. palmata and H. ramentaceum roughly comparable to that of Liagora tetrasporifera is suggested by the results.