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Compared with Nitzschia palea var. debilis, this taxon is wider and has more distinctly subcapitate apices. In comparison to Nitzschia palea var. tenuirostris, the width of the nominate species is greater. Nitzschia palea var. palea is more narrow than N. minuta, a taxon that has been placed with the N. palea species complex.

LM scalebar = 10 µm
Nitzschia palea LM4 Nitzschia palea LM5 Nitzschia palea LM7 Nitzschia palea LM6 Nitzschia palea LM2 Nitzschia palea LM3 Nitzschia palea LM1
Length Range
12-42 µm
Width Range
3-4 µm
Striae in 10 µm
36-38

Nitzschia palea var. debilis

(Kütz.) Grunow in Cleve and Grunow 1880

Debilis 005 Debilis 004 Debilis 003 Debilis 001 Debilis 002
Length Range
20-30 µm
Width Range
2.5-3.0 µm
Striae in 10 µm
Striae not visible with LM

Nitzschia palea var. tenuirostris

Grunow in Van Heurck 1881

Nitzschia palea var tenuirostris LM3 Nitzschia palea var tenuirostris LM5 Nitzschia palea var tenuirostris LM1 Nitzschia palea var tenuirostris LM4 Nitzschia palea var tenuirostris LM2
Length Range
20-36 µm
Width Range
2.5-3.5 µm
Striae in 10 µm
difficult to resolve in LM

Nitzschia minuta

Bleisch in Rabenh. 1860

Nitzschia minuta LM4 Nitzschia minuta LM6 Nitzschia minuta LM3 Nitzschia minuta LM1 Nitzschia minuta LM2 Nitzschia minuta LM5
Length Range
20-36 µm
Width Range
4.0-5.5 µm
Striae in 10 µm
Striae 36-39, fibulae 13-15

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