title: Molecular phylogeny of the Cladophoraceae (Cladophorales, Ulvophyceae), with the resurrection of Acrocladus Nägeli and Willeella Børgesen, and the description of Lurbica gen. nov. and Pseudorhizoclonium gen. nov.
abstract: The taxonomy of the Cladophoraceae, a large family of filamentous green algae, has been problematic for a long time due to morphological simplicity, parallel evolution, phenotypic plasticity, and unknown distribution ranges. Partial large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences were generated for 362 isolates, and the analyses of a concatenated dataset consisting of unique LSU and small subunit (SSU) rDNA sequences of 95 specimens greatly clarified the phylogeny of the Cladophoraceae. The phylogenetic reconstructions showed that the three currently accepted genera Chaetomorpha, Cladophora, and Rhizoclonium are polyphyletic. The backbone of the phylogeny is robust and the relationships of the main lineages were inferred with high support, only the phylogenetic position of both Chaetomorpha melagonium and Cladophora rupestris could not be inferred unambiguously. There have been at least three independent switches between branched and unbranched morphologies within the Cladophoraceae. Freshwater environments have been colonized twice independently, namely by the freshwater Cladophora species as well as by several lineages of the Rhizoclonium riparium clade. In an effort to establish monophyletic genera, the genera Acrocladus and Willeella are resurrected and two new genera are described: Pseudorhizoclonium and Lurbica.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Parade, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boedeker
authors.affiliation: Phycology Research Group, Biology Department, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leliaert
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Parade, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Giuseppe C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Zuccarello
mesh_terms: D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D048028:DNA, Algal / Q000235:genetics*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D048028:DNA, Algal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
keywords: 
  Chaetomorpha
  ; 
  Cladophora
  ; 
  Rhizoclonium
  ; 
  rDNA
  ; green algae; molecular phylogenetics; polyphyly; taxonomy