The Algal Genus Laurencia from the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippine Islands and Adjacent Areas

B A AFTER A STUDY (Saito, 1967) of the Japanese species of Laurencia, I was given an opportunity to study the tropical Pacific species of the genus at the University of Hawaii. Most of the material used for this study was found in the herbarium of Dr. Maxwell S. Doty and was collected from Hawaii, the Philippines, and adjacent areas. Fresh collections, from the island of Oahu in Hawaii made during the period December 1966 through February 1967, by myself and Dr. Gavino Trono, Jr., were also studied. From this material, I identified twenty species of the genus, including four varieties, of which L. carolinensis and L. dotyi described below, are new to science. About half the Laurmcia species in these regions are found in different Asiatic areas (Yamada, 1931; Yamada and Segawa, 1953; Tseng, 1943). There are but few species in common with the Pacific coast of the United States. I plan to study the morphology of these species and, eventually, the phytogeography of this genus in the Pacific Basin. However, before going further, I want to publish an annotated list of the species of Laurencia recognized thus far, with an analytical key to indicate how they may be distinguished. I express my sincere thanks to Dr. Maxwell S. Doty, University of Hawaii, and Dr. Isabella A. Abbott, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, who gave me the opportunity to study and encouraged me during the course of the work. I am also grateful to Dr. Jun Tokida and Dr. Yukio Yamada, both of Hokkaido University, for their valuable advice and encouragement. Financial assistance from NIH grant EF 00938-01 and AEC contract AT-(043)-235 with the University of Hawaii also is gratefully acknowledged.