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Taxonomy of economic seaweeds: With reference to some pacific species volume V
302
Book reviews
or how to restore degraded ecosystems is of little use unless the resources and the will to apply that knowledge are available. Aquatic botanists will be especially disappointed with one aspect of Given's book, as they have undoubtedly been disappointed with every other book on plant conservation they have read. In scanning the index entries for genera from Abies to Zerna, I found none I recognized as typical aquatic or wetland plants. No mention of the endangered Texas wild rice (Zizania texana) in discussions of threatened plant species, no mention of Hydrilla or Eichhornia in discussions of invasive exotics. Given would, I am sure, welcome the opportunity to correct this bias. It suggests, however, either that the conservation problems of aquatic and wetland plants have not received the attention they deserve or, perhaps more likely, that plant conservationists with a terrestrial focus and training, like me, have paid too little attention to the great strides our colleagues have made in establishing the principles and practice of aquatic plant conservation. KENT E. HOLSINGER, Director Center for Conservation and Biodiversity Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269-3043 USA
PI! S0304-3770(96)01082-0
Taxonomy of economic seaweeds Taxonomy of Economic Seaweeds: With Reference to Some Pacific Species Volume V. I.A. Abbott (Editor), California Sea Grant College System, University of California, La Jolla, 1995, 254 pp., paperback, USA $10.00, Publication No. T-CSGCP-035 (no ISBN number assigned). The present volume summarizes the results of an international workshop held at the University of Hawaii (July 1993) and supported by the five Pacific Sea Grant College programs (i.e. California, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington). The series of workshops, of which this is the fifth, rests on the conviction that progress in seaweed aquaculture and marine natural products chemistry will not advance until the taxonomy of commercially interesting species is better understood. Dr. I. Abbott, one of the world's leading algal systematists, has been the primary organizer and motivator of these workshops, bringing together leading systematists from around the Pacific Rim. Four major groups of seaweeds were evaluated, including several species of Eucheuma, Gracilaria and Sargassum, plus selected members of the Gelidiales. Eight papers dealing with intricacies of nomenclature and phenotypic variation within the difficult brown alga Sargassum ( > 400 recorded taxa) are given: the synonymy of the poorly known Japanese taxon S. henslowianum var. condensatum (Noro et al., p. 3); the occurrence of the section Zygocarpicae of subgenus Sargassum from Japan and Vietnam (Ajisaka et al., pp. 11 and 45); an assessment of S. siliquosum from its type
Bookreviews
303
locality in Singapore (Phang et al., p. 55); an enumeration of the subsection Glomerulatae of subgenus Sargassum from China, including the series Binderiana and species groups Swartzia and Binderia (Tseng and Lu Baoren, pp. 67, 75 and 93); and an extensive biogeography of Sargassum within the Pacific basin (Phillips, p. 107). In discussing taxonomic problems within the Gelidium/Pterocladia complex (i.e. Gelidiales), Abbott (p. 145) emphasizes that they are in a state of 'suspended animation', and there is a critical need to find stable, suitable and repeatedly observable features. Most specimens found are sterile, while critical taxonomic determinations often require reproductive structures (e.g. unilocular vs. bilocular cystocarp locules). Rodriguez and Santelices (p. 147) state that vegetative features may be helpful in delineating this difficult group, as there are differences in the ontogeny and architecture of apical cells in Gelidium and Pterocladia, as well as between different species of Gelidium within similar habitats. Lee and Kim (p. 161) describe several new records of gelidialean red algae from Korea and give comprehensive keys to eight species and four varieties confirmed for Korea. Species delineations in Gracilaria (> 100 recorded taxa) are also quite difficult (Abbott, p. 175). Stability of morphological features is a major problem (e.g. spermatangial configuration), requiring detailed culture and field studies. Six papers dealing with Gracilaria are given: documentations of new species (records) from the Fiji Islands (South, p. 177); China (Junfu et al., p. 197), Japan (Yamamota, p. 207), and Thailand (Lewmanomont, p. 223); a synopsis of 97 species of Gracilaria based upon a decade of collective studies (Abbott, p. 185); a taxonomic appraisal of Korean G. verrucosa (Lee et al., p. 213). The latter name is probably the most widely used in the genus, although it is currently interpreted as having a narrow geographical range and many 'look-alikes'. The last section of the volume summarizes descriptions of Eucheuma and Kappaphycus taxa from Vietnam (Dinh and Nang, p. 229), as well as a description of the new genus and species, namely Retaphycus philippinensis (Doty, p. 237). The latter contains beta-carrageenan, while Eucheuma has iota-carrageenan. Overall, the volume represents an excellent compilation of taxonomic information regarding Pacific warm-water and economically important seaweeds. It provides excellent keys, descriptions, illustrations and biogeographical information; in addition descriptions of some new taxa and systematic arrangements are given (e.g. within the Sargassum section Zygocarpicae). The range of materials reviewed (e.g. about t00 Gracilaria taxa), as well as the cohesive efforts of diverse taxonomic specialists, make this a unique and important contribution. Hopefully, future workshops will be as productive and useful. A. C. MATHIESON University of New Hampshire Department of Plant Biology & Jackson Esturaine Laboratory Durham, Nil USA PH S0304-3770(96)01083-2
Book reviews
or how to restore degraded ecosystems is of little use unless the resources and the will to apply that knowledge are available. Aquatic botanists will be especially disappointed with one aspect of Given's book, as they have undoubtedly been disappointed with every other book on plant conservation they have read. In scanning the index entries for genera from Abies to Zerna, I found none I recognized as typical aquatic or wetland plants. No mention of the endangered Texas wild rice (Zizania texana) in discussions of threatened plant species, no mention of Hydrilla or Eichhornia in discussions of invasive exotics. Given would, I am sure, welcome the opportunity to correct this bias. It suggests, however, either that the conservation problems of aquatic and wetland plants have not received the attention they deserve or, perhaps more likely, that plant conservationists with a terrestrial focus and training, like me, have paid too little attention to the great strides our colleagues have made in establishing the principles and practice of aquatic plant conservation. KENT E. HOLSINGER, Director Center for Conservation and Biodiversity Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269-3043 USA
PI! S0304-3770(96)01082-0
Taxonomy of economic seaweeds Taxonomy of Economic Seaweeds: With Reference to Some Pacific Species Volume V. I.A. Abbott (Editor), California Sea Grant College System, University of California, La Jolla, 1995, 254 pp., paperback, USA $10.00, Publication No. T-CSGCP-035 (no ISBN number assigned). The present volume summarizes the results of an international workshop held at the University of Hawaii (July 1993) and supported by the five Pacific Sea Grant College programs (i.e. California, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington). The series of workshops, of which this is the fifth, rests on the conviction that progress in seaweed aquaculture and marine natural products chemistry will not advance until the taxonomy of commercially interesting species is better understood. Dr. I. Abbott, one of the world's leading algal systematists, has been the primary organizer and motivator of these workshops, bringing together leading systematists from around the Pacific Rim. Four major groups of seaweeds were evaluated, including several species of Eucheuma, Gracilaria and Sargassum, plus selected members of the Gelidiales. Eight papers dealing with intricacies of nomenclature and phenotypic variation within the difficult brown alga Sargassum ( > 400 recorded taxa) are given: the synonymy of the poorly known Japanese taxon S. henslowianum var. condensatum (Noro et al., p. 3); the occurrence of the section Zygocarpicae of subgenus Sargassum from Japan and Vietnam (Ajisaka et al., pp. 11 and 45); an assessment of S. siliquosum from its type
Bookreviews
303
locality in Singapore (Phang et al., p. 55); an enumeration of the subsection Glomerulatae of subgenus Sargassum from China, including the series Binderiana and species groups Swartzia and Binderia (Tseng and Lu Baoren, pp. 67, 75 and 93); and an extensive biogeography of Sargassum within the Pacific basin (Phillips, p. 107). In discussing taxonomic problems within the Gelidium/Pterocladia complex (i.e. Gelidiales), Abbott (p. 145) emphasizes that they are in a state of 'suspended animation', and there is a critical need to find stable, suitable and repeatedly observable features. Most specimens found are sterile, while critical taxonomic determinations often require reproductive structures (e.g. unilocular vs. bilocular cystocarp locules). Rodriguez and Santelices (p. 147) state that vegetative features may be helpful in delineating this difficult group, as there are differences in the ontogeny and architecture of apical cells in Gelidium and Pterocladia, as well as between different species of Gelidium within similar habitats. Lee and Kim (p. 161) describe several new records of gelidialean red algae from Korea and give comprehensive keys to eight species and four varieties confirmed for Korea. Species delineations in Gracilaria (> 100 recorded taxa) are also quite difficult (Abbott, p. 175). Stability of morphological features is a major problem (e.g. spermatangial configuration), requiring detailed culture and field studies. Six papers dealing with Gracilaria are given: documentations of new species (records) from the Fiji Islands (South, p. 177); China (Junfu et al., p. 197), Japan (Yamamota, p. 207), and Thailand (Lewmanomont, p. 223); a synopsis of 97 species of Gracilaria based upon a decade of collective studies (Abbott, p. 185); a taxonomic appraisal of Korean G. verrucosa (Lee et al., p. 213). The latter name is probably the most widely used in the genus, although it is currently interpreted as having a narrow geographical range and many 'look-alikes'. The last section of the volume summarizes descriptions of Eucheuma and Kappaphycus taxa from Vietnam (Dinh and Nang, p. 229), as well as a description of the new genus and species, namely Retaphycus philippinensis (Doty, p. 237). The latter contains beta-carrageenan, while Eucheuma has iota-carrageenan. Overall, the volume represents an excellent compilation of taxonomic information regarding Pacific warm-water and economically important seaweeds. It provides excellent keys, descriptions, illustrations and biogeographical information; in addition descriptions of some new taxa and systematic arrangements are given (e.g. within the Sargassum section Zygocarpicae). The range of materials reviewed (e.g. about t00 Gracilaria taxa), as well as the cohesive efforts of diverse taxonomic specialists, make this a unique and important contribution. Hopefully, future workshops will be as productive and useful. A. C. MATHIESON University of New Hampshire Department of Plant Biology & Jackson Esturaine Laboratory Durham, Nil USA PH S0304-3770(96)01083-2