Meristotheca lysonensis sp. nov. (Solieriaceae, Rhodophyta), a new flattened species from Vietnamese waters

This study presents a new flattened species of Meristotheca collected from southern Viet Nam. Meristotheca lysonensis sp. nov. is proposed based upon several morphological characters and genetic differences when compared to the closely related species documented in Southeast Asia: M. procumbens. This new species shows larger size and blade thickness, as well as both basal and lateral pit-connections between tetrasporangia and the parental supporting cells. The phylogenetic analyses also support Meristotheca lysonensis as a new species.