Ivan Kirilov Kiryakov

Katya Naneva Velichkova

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Anales de Biología 37: 119-121, 2015 SHORT REPORT
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/analesbio.37.12
Muriella australis J. Phillipson (Chlorophyta),  a new species
for the algal flora of Bulgaria
Ivan Kirilov Kiryakov1 & Katya Naneva Velichkova2 
1 Department of Botany, Paisiy Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
2 Department of Biology and Aquaculture, Agricultural Faculty, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Resumen
Correspondence
K.N. Velichkova
E-mail: genova@abv.bg
Received: 18 Jaunary 2015
Accepted: 29 May 2015
Published on-line: 23 July 2015
Muriella australis J. Phillipson (Chlorophyta), una nueva especie
para la flora de algas de Bulgaria
Se cita una nueva especie de alga para Bulgaria. Esta rara espe-
cie (sólo conocida su locus classicus de Australia, aislada de sue-
lo) se ha encontrado también en los montes Rópode, en la capa
aerofílica del lecho de las fuentes de la villa de Slaveyno (provincia
de Smolyan). Se ha extendido la diagnosis de la especie. Se ha re-
alizado una revisión de la especie y del género.
Palabras clave: Muriella, Nueva cita, Algas raras, Bulgaria.
Abstract
A new species and genus  Muriella australis for the algal flora of
Bulgaria аre reported in this article. This rare species (known only
from locus classicus in Australia, isolated from soil) was discovered
also in Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria in aerophilic coating on the
bed of the fountains in village Slaveyno (Smolyan district). The dia-
gnosis of the species was extended and expanded. A review of the
species to the genus concerned was accomplished.
Key words: Muriella, New record, Rare algae, Bulgaria.
Introduction
Six species belong to the genus Muriella Petersen:
Muriella aurantica Vischer,  Muriella australis J.
Phillipson,  Muriella  magna Fritsch  et  John,
Muriella decolor Vischer,  Muriella zofingiensis
(Dönz) Hindak and Muriella terrestris Petersen. 
Later, some species have dropped out of  the
genus.  This  was  the  case  with  Chlorella  zofin-
giensis Dönz., which Hindak (1982) added to the
genus  under  the  name  Muriella  zofingiensis
(Dönz)  Hindak.  Afterward,  Kalina  &  Punčo-
chářová (1987) argued for the transfer this species
to the genus Mychonastes Simpson & Van Valken-
burg, based on their observations from scanning
electron microscopy.  Fučíková & Lewis (2012),
however,  resurrected  the  genus  Chromochloris
Kol & F.Chodat  and relate  M. zofingiensis to the
synonyms of  Chromochloris  zofingiensis (Dönz)
Fučíková & Lewis and proposed the transfer  of
M. zofingiensis to the genus Chromochloris.
According  to  Hindák  (1982),  M.  aurantiaca
Vischer  was  synonymized  with  M.  zofingiensis
(Dönz)  Hindák,  but  it  has  since  been  demon-
strated that  M. aurantiaca belongs to a separate
chlorophycean  genus,  Pseudomuriella Hanagata
120 I.K. Kiryakov & K.N. Velichkova Anales de Biología 37, 2015
(Hanagata 1998, Fučíková et al. 2011). 
The species M. terrestris is polytypic. It is rel-
atively  uncommon.  So  far,  it  has  been  reported
only in Southern Europe: Italy (soil;  pine forest in
Brixen,  South  Tyrol),  Croatia  (soil  in  Lavsa
Island). Two forms of it were described: f. majcu-
lata Broady and f. major Bоurrelly, as well as var.
reticulata Broady known only from its  classical
field  Vestfold  Hills,  Antarctica,  isolated  from
amongst moss plants with an abundant epiphytic
growth  of  Nostoc sp.  (Bourrelly  1966,   Broady
1982).
The species М. decolor is a typical aerophytic
alga but, in Antarctica, it was found for the first
time growing in a soil habitat (Аndreeva 1998).
According to Аndreeva (1998), the species M.
magna is also of unknown status. But according to
other  authors,  the  species  belongs  to  the  genus
Chromochloris (Day et al. 1995, John & Tsarenko
2002, Tsarenko 2011). 
М.  australis was  described  by  Phillipson
(1935) in Australia and New Zealand.  Its classical
field is in the Victoria state where it was isolated
from  soil  (aerophilic  form)  (Komárek  &  Fott
1983,  Day  et  al. 1995,  Ettl  &  Gärtner  1995,
Аndreeva 1998).
The object of the manuscript is to describe the
morphological  characteristics  of  Muriella  aus-
tralis J.Phillipson, which is a newly found species
for the algal flora of Bulgaria.
Material and Methods
We came upon this very rare and interesting algaе
on 27.10.2012. It was evolving among aerophilic
coating  on  the  concrete  bed  of  "Kumchovska
fountain" in the village Slaveyno (41°37'52.72''N,
24°51'43.55''E),  Rhodope  Mountains,  located
about 1050 masl.
The coating, which is constantly wet from the
spray of the water flowing from the fountain, was
grass green. The dominant species in that coating
was  the  filamentous  green  alga  Klebsormidium
crenulatum Kütz.  As subdominants we identified
three  types  from  Cyanophyta:  two  filamentous
Oscillatoria sp.,  Lyngbya sp., and a cocal  Gloеo-
capsa sp.  Very  rarely  cells  of  Staurastrum sp.
(Chlorophyta) were observed.
Studies  were  conducted  on  living  material
from the field immediately after collection (time
from 28.10 to 10.11.2012). The collected material
(13 samples) was examined on a light microscope
Olympus CX31 at the Department of Biology and
Aquaculture at the Trakia University.
Morphological features were recorded on the
basis of this alga material and relevant literature
sources  (Komárek  & Fott  1983,  Ettl  & Gärtner
1995). 
In  this  coating,  M.  australis was  thoroughly
developed  represented  by  both  vegetative  and
reproductive cells-forming autospores.
Results
Since  the  diagnosis  made  by  the  author  of  the
species is very brief, and presented iconography
(Phillipson  1935) represents  only globular  cells,
we  believe  that  the  diagnosis  should  be  further
completed with  data  from the  population of  the
village Slaveyno (Smolyan), Bulgaria.
Young cells (and autospores) were slightly oval or
ovoid, and the old ones were globular.
The autospores were 10-13 Х 7-11 µm of size
and they had (3)-4-(5)  chloroplasts.  The size of
old cells  was 10-21 μm, some of them forming
autospores reached 29 μm, which exceeded by far
those in the diagnosis (Phillipson 1935). Accord-
ing to Komarek & Fott (1983) the cells are spheri-
cal  with  parietal  disc-shaped chloroplast.  In  our
samples, most of the old cells contained up to 13
(rarely more) chloroplasts with polygonal borders,
arranged  close  to  the  wall  (Fig.  1A).  The  cells
were uninucleate. The cell wall was smooth, and
become thicker in  old cells.   In some cells,    a
bubble swelling of the wall, described by Phillip-
son,  resulting from the peeling of the outer layer
(Fig. 1B) was found. In the population from Bul-
garia, the species also reproduced by autospores.
Their number was usually 8, but there were find-
ings with 2-4, and rarely 16 autospores (Fig. 1C).
Most species of the genus Muriella were iso-
lated  from soil  (Ettl  & Gärtner  1995, Аndreeva
1998), so aerophilic algal coating is a new type of
habitat for the species discussed in this article.
Acknowledgements
The authors are  grateful  to  Mr. Dimitar  Lazhov
for the help in correcting the manuscript.
Anales de Biología 37, 2015 Muriella australis, a new species for Bulgaria 121
A B C
Figura 1. Мuriella australis.  A: Célula vegetativa con cloroplastos;  B: Abultamiento en la pared; C: Autoesporas en célula reproductora.
Barra de escala: 20 μm.
Figure 1. Мuriella australis. A: Vegetative cell with chloroplasts; B: Bubble swelling of the wall; C: Autospores in reproductive cell. Scale
bar 20 μm.
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Muriella australis J. Phillipson (Chlorophyta), a new species for the algal flora of Bulgaria

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Muriella australis J. Phillipson (Chlorophyta), a new species for the algal flora of Bulgaria

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