Diatoms of North AmericaThe genus Luticola
Description: The diatom genus Luticola D.G.Mann is composed of mostly small, yet easily diagnosed, taxa. The genus is characterized by uniseriate striae composed of rounded to transapically elongate areolae covered internally by perforated hymenes, an isolated pore in the central area, a longitudinal canal positioned within the valve wall, and a simple filiform raphe with variable raphe ends. A recent treatment of the genus based on the monograph written by Levkov et al. (2013) and recent scientific papers consider around 240 species from many parts of the world. The talk will present general morphological characteristics of the genus and discuss its current state of knowledge including its diversity and biogeography in the Antarctic region.
Target Audience: This presentation will be directed at participants interested in diatom taxonomy and biogeography. Part of the presentation will focus on diversity and endemicity of the genus in the Antarctic region. It might be interesting to students and scientists working on freshwater diatoms in general as well as those working with algal material in Antarctica. Beginners and the broad public are welcome to attend as well to enjoy the beautiful pictures of diatom frustules.
