Differentiating Iconella from Surirella (Bacillariophyceae): typifying four Ehrenberg names and a preliminary checklist of the African taxa

Abstract

To comply with the new phylogeny within the Surirellales as supported by molecular and morphological data, re-evaluations and re-combinations of taxa from and within the genera Surirella, Cymatopleura, and Stenopterobia and with the re-established genus Iconella are necessary. Since the African diatom flora is rich with taxa from these genera, especially Iconella, and the authors have studied these taxa recently, describing also new taxa, a preliminary checklist of African Iconella and Surirella is here presented. 94 names are contained on this list. 57 taxa have been transferred to Iconella; 55 taxa were formerly ranked within Surirella and two taxa within Stenopterobia. 10 taxa have stayed within Surirella and six taxa have been transferred from Cymatopleura to Surirella. 20 Surirella and 1 Stenopterobia names are listed which are either unrevised or unrevisable since morphological data is missing. Four names and taxa described by Ehrenberg are here typified. Two had been transferred to Iconella already: Iconella bifrons (Ehrenb.) Ruck & Nakov and Iconella splendida (Ehrenb.) Ruck & Nakov. Two are re-transferred from Cymatopleura to Surirella: Surirella librile (Ehrenb.) Ehrenb. and Surirella undulata (Ehrenb.) Ehrenb.; both taxa are currently known by their younger synonyms: Cymatopleura solea (Bréb.) W. Smith and Cymatopleura elliptica (Bréb. ex Kützing) W. Smith. Lectotypes for Iconella bifrons, I. splendida, Surirella librile, and S. undulata were designated.