Sheathia matouensis (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta), a new freshwater red algal species from North China

A new species of freshwater red alga, Sheathia matouensis, is described and illustrated based on material collected in spring water from the Hongdong region of Shanxi province, China. Phylogenetic analysis of sequence data from the rbcL and psbA indicated the separation between S. matouensis and the other species of genus Sheathia. Additionally, from a morphological point of view, S. matouensis differs from other species of the genus Sheathia by the smaller whorls and carpogonium. Therefore, the results based on both morphological observation and molecular evidences facilitated the proposal of this new species - S. matouensis. It represents another species in the freshwater red algal diversity in China and the description of this new species provides more molecular data for phylogenetic analysis of genus Sheathia.