Belongs within: Fucophycidae.
The Sporochnaceae are a family of brown algae with a heteromorphic life cycle, alternating between large, erect sporophytes and microscopic, filamentous gametophytes (Norris 2010).
Characters (Norris 2010): Branched main axis. Axis and branches bearing short, usually stalked, determinate branchlets with a conspicuous terminal tuft of filaments. Growth trichothallic in axis and branches from apical meristem located below tuft of filaments; growth in each filament from intercalary meristem just above base. Anatomical structure initially uniaxial in youngest growing portions, soon becoming surrounded by developing cells to form pseudoparenchymatous medulla of large colourless cells and outer cortex of small pigmented cells. Unilocular sporangia produced by macroscopic sporophyte are superficial on cortex or borne laterally off clustered paraphyses, producing meiospores that when released, germinate and develop into gametophytes. Sexual reproduction oogamous. Gametophytes microscopic, branched uniseriate filaments producing oogonia and antheridia.
Sporochnaceae [Sporochnales]
|--Carpomitra Kützing 1843 (nom. cons.)SRR14
| |--C. cabrerae (Turner) Kützing 1843)L27
| |--C. costataSRR14
| `--C. haliseris Hooker & Harvey 1845L27
`--+--Sporochnus Agardh 1817SRR14, N10
| |--S. anomalus (Pallas) Wynne 2003 (see below for synonymy)N10
| |--S. apodus Harvey 1859N10
| |--S. bolleanus Montagne 1856N10
| |--S. comosus Agardh 1824HS14
| |--S. neushulii Norris 2010N10
| |--S. pedunculatus (Hudson) Agardh 1820 [=Fucus pedunculatus Hudson 1778]N10
| |--S. scopariusKS00
| `--S. stylosus Hooker & Harvey 1855 [incl. S. gracilis]L27
`--Bellotia Harvey 1855SRR14
`--B. eriophorumSRR14
Sporochnaceae incertae sedis:
Perithalia Agardh 1890SRR14
`--P. capillaris Agardh 1890L27
Austronereia Womersley 1987SRR14
Encyothalia Harvey 1859SRR14
Lucasia Yee & Millar in Kraft 2009SRR14
Nereia Zanardini 1846SRR14
`--N. filiformisG03
Perisporochnus Chapman 1954SRR14
Sporochnema Womersley 1987SRR14
Tomaculopsis Cribb 1960SRR14
Sporochnus anomalus (Pallas) Wynne 2003 [=Fucus anomalus Pallas 1766; incl. F. gaertnera Gmelin 1768 (nom. illeg.), Sporochnus gaertnera Agardh 1820]N10
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[G03] Gnilovskaya, M. B. 2003. The oldest tissue differentiation in Precambrian (Vendian) algae. Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal 2003 (2): 92–98 (translated: Paleontological Journal 37 (2): 196–204).
[HS14] Huisman, J. M., & A. Sampey. 2014. Kimberley marine biota. Historical data: marine plants. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 84: 45–67.
[KS00] Kawai, H., & H. Sasaki. 2000. Molecular phylogeny of the brown agal genera Akkesiphycus and Halosiphon (Laminariales), resulting in the circumscription of the new families Akkesiphycaceae and Halosiphonaceae. Phycologia 39: 416–428.
[L27] Laing, R. M. 1927. A reference list of New Zealand marine algae. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 126–185.
[N10] Norris, J. N. 2010. Marine algae of the northern Gulf of California: Chlorophyta and Phaeophyceae. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 94: 1–276.
[SRR14] Silberfeld, T., F. Rousseau & B. de Reviers. 2014. An updated classification of brown algae (Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae). Cryptogamie, Algologie 35 (2): 117–156.