The marine green and brown algae of Rodrigues (Mauritius, Indian Ocean) Author Coppejans, Eric Author Leliaert, Frederik Author Verbruggen, Heroen Author de Clerck, Olivier Author Schils, Tom Author de Vriese, Thomas Author Marie, Daniel text Journal of Natural History 2004 2004-12-01 38 23 2959 3020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930410001695024 journal article 10.1080/00222930410001695024 1464-5262 5251841 * Udotea palmetta Decaisne, 1842: 105 ( figures 22–24 ) References: Gepp and Gepp, 1911: 108–110 , 122–124, pl. 1, figure 11 ; Jaasund, 1976: 29 , figure 58. Type locality. Not specified . Vouchers. HEC 14715 (zF), 21 September 2001 , Petite Butte (s.s. 23) ; HEC 14775 (zF), 25 September 2001 , Passe Grand Bassin (s.s. 2) ; HEC 14817 (zF), 27 September 2001 , Ile Hermitage (s.s. 18) . Ecology. Mostly on silty sand bottom of the subtidal, from low water mark down to 0.5 m deep. Distribution. Amirante Islands, Cargados Carajos , Mauritius ( Børgesen, 1940: 59 ; 1948: 34–35 ), Persian Gulf, Rodrigues (this paper), Seychelles , Tanzania , Yemen . Notes. (1) Udotea palmetta is morphologically very similar to U. indica A. Gepp and E. Gepp. Anatomically they are distinguished by the morphology of the lateral appendages of the flabellum filaments. These are blunt in the latter and acute in the former. In U. orientalis these filaments have no appendages at all. (2) One collection (HEC 14817) is fertile and carries numerous dark green gametocysts in the middle ( figure 23 ) and marginal ( figure 24 ) parts of the whitish flabellum. (3) The fully grown specimens are very large when compared to those from Kenya and Tanzania , but they still agree with the original description. The stipe is up to 4 cm long, the flabellum 10 (but up to 15) cm long and 14 cm broad.