A new Species of Spirulina (= Arthrospira) Mahajanimahajan from Khargone, Madhya Pradesh

2004·0.78 MB·

by  S K Mahajan

6 1 2
Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 101 (2), May-Aug 2004 294-295
A NEW SPECIES OF SPIRULINA (= ARTHROSPIRA MAHAJANI MAHAJAN
FROM KHARGONE, MADHYA PRADESH )
1
S.K. Mahajan:
'Accepted November 2001
-'Botany Department, Government P.G. College, 31, Jain Mandir Path, Khargone 451 001, Madhya Pradesh, India
Email: [email protected]
Spirulma(=Arthrospira)hasreceivedgreatcommercial impetusinrecenttimesandthishasresulted inthepublication
ot many papers on the physiology, methods ofcultivation, mass production etc. Most publications generally referto
thisalgaasSpirulinaplatensis. DesikacharyandJeeji Bai( 1996)havegroupedthevariousstrainsandnatural samples
Aoftphliasteanlsgias.unTdheerfgoeunrusdisStpiinrcutltinaaxoinsocmhiacraecntteirtiiezsedanndotasosnilgynebdytchoeilmedtotIr.iAc.hoimnedsi,cab,u2t.aAl.somabxyidmiaff,e3r.eAn.cemsasisnatrhteiicoainldin4g.
pattern Besidestheusualdifferencesintrichomesandcell dimensions,thecell morphologyprovidesaveryimportant
consistent and reliable feature which is observed in all the four groups. Groups 1 and 4 show a greater degree of
attenuation than groups 2 and 3. The Khargone specimen belongs to group 4, but it differs from its other strains by
the narrower trichomes with calyptrate end cells. The Khargone material shows a calyptra and somewhat narrower
trichomes and is hence not included in this group. On account ofits separate entity, it has been assigned a new name
SpirulinamahajaniMahajan.
Keywords:Spirulina,Arthrospira. naturalsamples, identification,taxonomiccriteria,newreport, blue-greenalgae
The planktonic alga described was collected from a
temporary pond at the Government P.G. College, Khargone
(21°45'N, 75°37'E,250.38nrabovenisi)duringNovenrber-
December, 1990, mixed with OsciUatoria Hydrodictyon
, ,
Sirogonium Spirogyra and diatoms. The depth ofthe pond
,
was 90 cm. Turbidity of the stagnant water was 20 NTU,
pH 7.6 and water temperature was 28.3 °C, when the algal
samplewascollectedat 1400hrs.
Trichomes 4.9-5.6 pm broad in the middle and 3.4-
5. pmattheends;Celllength2.1-3.6pm;endcellsrounded,
1
non-capitatebutcalyptrate;numberofcoils3-5;coildiameter
33-44 pminmiddleand33-39pmattheends;Pitchofcoil39-
99 pm;percentageattenuation 5-20(Fig. 1).
Material collectedfromKhargoneponddiffersfromall
the known species ofSpirulina. Desikachary and Jeeji Bai
(1996) have emphasized on a separate entity. Hence, the
material is a species new to science. The epithetmahajaniis
smautgegreisalt)edfor(atfhtiesrnethwespneacmiees(oTfabalueth1o).r who collected the Fig. 1: Regularlyecnoidlecde,llsna(rSrcaolwe:tr2i0chpomm)eswi.t..hcal.ypt,rat,e
Table 1: Comparison of dimensions of S. mahajani sp. nov. with allied species of Spirulina (-Arthrospira).
[All dimensionsare in pm] (Desikacharyand Jeeji Bai 1996)
S No Strain/sample No. of Coildiameter Pitch of Trichomediameter % attenuation Cell
coils coil length Endcell
mid end mid end
1 Arthrospira platensis - 26-36 - 43-57 6.0-8.0 - Slight 2.0-6.0 Rounded
2 Arthrospira platensis 5-12 33-44 22-33 66-77 7.8-9.0 5.6-7.0 20-35 3.4-4. Broadly rounded
var. californica
3. Spirulina mahajani 3-5 33-44 33-39 39-99 4.9-5. 3.4-5. 5-20 2.1-3.6 Rounded/calyptrate
sp. nov.
NEW DESCRIPTIONS
The material and slide have been deposited with the 1 extend my sincere thanks to Dr. P.L. Jain,
BotanyDepartment, GovernmentP.G. College, Khargonefor Principal and Prof. P.R. Paliwal for encouragement
record. Regn.No. PGDB390. and facilities.
REFERENCE
Desikachary, T.V. & N. Jeeji Bai (1996): Algologicalstudies. Stuttgarl, Dezember83. 163-178.
I. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 101 (2), May-Aug 2004 295