TWO NEW SPECIES OF NITELLA FROM CHINA

Two new species, Nitella guangxiensis collected from Guangxi Province and Nitella shandongensis collected from Shandong Province, are reported in this paper. Nitella guangxiensis has much resemblance to N. acuminata and N. flexilis var. subcapitata. It differs from the latter two in having bifid or cusp dactyls. N. bicornuta, N. partita, N. inaequipartita and N. caroliniana also have bifid or cusp dactyls, but they belong to Arthrodactylae and differ from Nitella guangxiensis which belongs to Anarthrodactylae. Nitella shandongensis is very similar to N. shinii, N. hokouensis, N. minispora and N. horkawae. It is distinguished from the former two by its absence of gametangia at the first node of the branchlets. It is different from the latter two in having reticulate oospore membrane.