Aquatic Plants-Systematics

1. AQUATIC PLANTS
Felix Bast, PhD, IFA
Centre for Biosciences,Central University of Punjab, Mansa Road, Bathinda, 151001, Punjab

2. Earth
 ~70% is water
 Life originated in water
 ~75% of O2 we inhale is
produced from ocean
(algae including
phytoplankton)
 80% of CO2 captured
and sequestered by the
algae

3. Cryptogams & Phanerogams
 Cryptogams: “lower plants”, polyphyletic
 Plants without flowers/fruits; reproduce by spores:
 Avascular
 Algae/Seaweeds
 Lichens
 Bryophytes (Mosses)
 Vascular
 Pteridophytes (Ferns)
 Phanerogams/Spermatophyta: Vascular, reproduce by seeds
 Seagrass
 Mangroves

5. Algal Divisions
 Chlorophyta = Green
 Phaeophyta = Brown
 Rhodophyta = Red

6. Halimeda opuntia
Chlorophyta: Green Algae
Caulerpa racemosa
Caulerpa sertularioides
Dictyosphaeria cavernosa
Codium edule

7. Sargassum polyphyllum
Sargassum echinocarpum
Phaeophyta: Brown Algae
Turbinaria ornata
Padina japonica
Hydroclathrus
clathratus

8. Hypnea chordacea Asparagopsis taxiformis
Galaxaura fastigiata
Acanthophora spicifera
Ahnfeltia concinna
Rhodophyta: Red Algae

9. INSPIRE Faculty Award
Chemical and
Phylogenetic
Diversity of
Seaweeds in
Indian
Subcontinent
DST-
INSPIRE
Award
2012-
2017
35 Lakhs

10. Seaweeds: Green algae
 Have the same pigments
as land plants (chlorophyll)
 More than 7,000 species
 Marine algae are “macro”
 Alteration of generations

11. • Filamentus algae such as Ulva forms paper thin sheets.

12. • “Dead man’s fingers,” Codium fragile and
several spp. of Culerpa are known for their
tube-like structures.
•Bryopsis has potent anticancer properties

13. Boergesenia forbesii
Acetabularia acetabulum

14. Phaeophyta
 Largest (size) and most complex of the algae
 Nearly all are marine (~1500 spp.)
 Brown color comes from accessory pigments
(fucoxanthin)

15. Padina (brown algae) with flat, calcified blades. From A&N

16. • Fucus sprialis a common brown algae can be found on
rocky shores. Unlike other algae in this category, its thallus
lacks gas bladders.

17. Kelps
 Kelps are the largest seaweed we encounter in the ocean.
They are also the most complex.
 Due to this large size, many of the kelps are harvested for
food!
 Who knows where we will find seaweed next?

18. Sea plam (Postelsia palmaeformis)
containsinternal support structures
that help them withstand wave
action!
It’s also eated on a regular basis as
“sea noodles.”

19. Macrocystis pyrifera, the largest of the kelps
anchors itself to the sea floor by use a massive
holdfast. Here we can see not only the large
blades, but the extensive pneumatocysts used for
buoyancy.
Pneumatocysts developed as a
means to maximize energy
production through
photosynthesis by
keeping the seaweed
close to the surface.

20. These kelp obtain huge proportions
growing as much as 0.5m/day!
These when large kelp group
together a kelp forest is develops.
Kelp forest are great for sheltering
all sorts of marine life, including
Garabaldi, scallops, seals and
sharks.
They also provide an opportunity for
selective harvesting of the upper
sections of the blades for food.

21. • Although many red algae are in fact
red; due to the prescence of red
pigments known as phycobilins,
which mask chlorophyll, these algae
may display an even greater intensity
when exposed to sunlight!
Nearly 4,000 marine species exist and
many are used for food or other specialty
products.
Porphya, a “red” algae
Rhodophyta

22. Corallina, a coralline algae, deposits CaCO3 within
its cell walls which provides structural support and
often encrusting many surrounding surfaces.

23. Galaxaura rugosa from Andaman islands

24. Sexual Reproduction, or not…
 Sexual reproduction is expensive both energetically and
physiologically.
 Sometimes it’s better to reproduce by asexual means from
fragments, spores, or buds.
 Sometimes algae use both sexual and asexual reproduction
depending on environmental conditions.

26. Off-shore cultivation methods
Four basic types of seaplant agronomic
methods.
 A. Floating raft in deep sea with
deadweight mooring. Raft is floated
all the time.
 B. Semi-floating raft in shallow
water. Raft is floated at high tides but
gets exposed during low tides.
 C. Off bottom in shallow water. Nets
getimmersed in high tide and exposed
in low tide.
 D. Bottom planting in shallow water.
Immersed at all the times.Water
levels at high-tide are shown above
low tide in all illustrations
BAST, F 2014. An Illustrated Review on Cultivation and Life History of Agronomically Important Seaplants. In Seaweed: Mineral Composition, Nutritional and
Antioxidant Benefits andAgricultural Uses, EdsVitor Hugo Pomin, 39-70. Nova Publishers, NewYork ISBN: 978-1-63117-571-8

27. Invasive algae

28. Our group’s contribution
 BAST, F., JOHN, A.A. AND BHUSHAN, S. 2014. Strong endemism of bloom-forming tubular Ulva in Indian west coast, with description
of Ulva paschima Sp. Nov. (Ulvales, Chlorophyta. PLoS ONE 9(10): e109295. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109295 (IF:3.73) PDF
 BAST, F., JOHN, A.A. AND BHUSHAN, S. 2015.Cladophora goensis- a bloom forming marine algae from Goa, India. IndianJournal of
Marine Sciences (Accepted) (IF:0.57) PDF
 BAST, F., BHUSHAN, S AND JOHN, A.A. 2014. DNA Barcoding of a new record of epi-endophytic green
algae Ulvella leptochaete (Ulvellaceae, Chlorophyta) in India. Journal of Biosciences 39:711-716 (IF:1.8) PDF
 BAST, F., BHUSHAN, S. AND JOHN, A.A. 2015. Brown barcoded as red but reality is green! How epiphytic green algae confuse
phycologists?Webbia- Journal of PlantTaxonomy andGeography (Tailor and Francis, UK) (Accepted) DOI:
10.1080/00837792.2015.1014217
 BAST, F. 2015.Taxonomic reappraisal of Monostromataceae (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) Based on Multi-Locus Phylogeny. Webbia-
Journal of PlantTaxonomy and Geography (Tailor and Francis, UK) (Accepted) DOI: 10.1080/00837792.2015.1004845
 BAST, F., KUBOTA, S. ANDOKUDA, K. 2015. Phylogeographic Assessment of Panmictic Monostroma Species from Kuroshio Coast,
Japan Reveals Sympatric Speciation. Journal of Applied Phycology (IF:2.5) DOI 10.1007/s10811-014-0452-x PDF
 BAST, F 2014. Seaweeds in Japanese Culture:An analysis of medieval Waka poetry. The Phycologist (UK) 86:24-27 ISSN:0965-
5301 PDF
 BAST, F., BHUSHAN, S. AND JOHN, A.A. 2014. Morphological and molecular assessment of native carrageenophyte Hypnea
valentiae (Cystocloniaceae, Gigartinales) in Indian Subcontinent Phykos 44(1) 52-58 ISSN: 0554-1182 PDF
Popular Science
 BAST, F 2014. Seaweeds: Ancestors of land plants with rich diversity. Resonance, 19(2) 1032-1043 ISSN: 0971-8044 PDF

29. Endophytic algae

31. Products from Seaweed:
Phycocolloids—form gels and increase viscosity of liquids
Algin—stabilizer in ice cream (Macrocystis)
Carageenan—emulsifier in jellies (Hypnea)
Agar—jellies & Ice creams (and of course all your plates in microbiology,
Gelidium, Pterocladiella)

33. Other important microalgae
 Microalgae are interesting candidates for biofuel production
 Dunaliella salina-extreme halophilic microalgae
 Chlorella-a chlorophyte (green algae) is used as a
nutraceutical, in biofuel production and Carbon Capture and
Sequestration
 Spirulina-Cyanobacterial genus important as dietary
supplement
 Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are important
picoplankton syanobacteria that are responsible for vast
majority (~70%) of CO2 fixation in earth

34. The Seaweed Paradox
 Highest seaweed consuming countries:
 East Asia (Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia, Philippines)
 Europe (Ireland, Ulster,Wales)
 Coastal areas of USA and Canada
 Prevalence rate of following diseases are low in all these
countries
 Breast cancer
 Colorectal cancer
 Coronary heart disease

35. Drugs from Algae
S. No Natural product Algal taxa possessing the
product
1 Kahalalide-F Bryopsis
2 Sulphated polysaccharides :
Fucoidan & Laminarin
Brown algae
3 Sulphated polysaccharides :
Translam
Laminaria (Brown algae)
4 Sulphated polysaccharides :
Ulvan
Green algae
5 Chondriamide A: A cyclic
depsipeptide
Chondria atropurpurea
6 Terpenes andTriterpenoids Bifurcaria bifurcata, Caulerpa
taxifolia, Cystoseira
mediterrane, Cystophora
usneoides
7 Bis (2,3-dibromo-4,5-
dihydroxybenzyl) ether
(BDDE) and other
Bromophenols (BPs)
Various marine macroalgae

36. Drugs from Sea grant (Ministry of
Earth Sciences)
Phylogenetic
Selection OfTarget
Taxa For Anti-
ProliferativeAnd Anti-
Metastatic Marine
Natural Products
From Seaweeds Of
Indian Coast
Ministry of
Earth
Sciences-
Drugs from
the Sea
Program
2015-
18
91.02
Lakhs

37. Terrestrial algae
 Most of the terrestrial
algae are greens
Our works have revealed
that terrestrial algae
Trentepohlia caused blood
rain

38. Freshwater algae
 We are also working on freshwater (limnetic) algae
 Greens
 Chlamydomonas
 Volvox
 Spyrogyra
 Gonium
 Chlorella
 Scenedesmus
 Trebouxia
 Botryococcus
 Zygnema
 Ulothrix
 Euglena
 Blue-greens
 Oscillatoria
 Anabaena
 Nostoc
 Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae)-brown algae with silica frustules
Our group is working on
Molecular Systematics of
freshwater algae from Punjab

39. Lichens
 Symbiotic association of algae (Photobiont) with fungus
 Mainly three types:
 Fruticose-Shrubs
 Foliose-Leaf like
 Crustose-Like crust of paint on surface
 Important as founder populations of barren land
 Important in weathering of rocks

40.  Foliose lichen
 1.The cortex is the outer layer of tightly woven fungus filaments
(hyphae) 2.This photobiont layer has photosynthesizing green algae 3.
Loosely packed hyphae in the medulla 4. A tightly woven lower cortex,
with anchoring hyphae called rhizines where the fungus attaches to the
substrate.

41.  Classified based on fungus
 Largest diversity of lichenised fungi are in Phylum
Ascomycota
 Trebouxia, a green algae, is the most common photobiont of
lichen

43. Bryophytes
 Non vascular cryptogams that grows in damp, humid habitats;
all have gametophyte dominant lifecycle
 Formerly consists of mosses, hornworts (division
Anthocerotophyta) and liverworts (division Marchantiophyta)
 Recent phylogenetic evidences suggest that hornworts and
liverworts are separate from bryophytes.The term bryophytes
used to refer only mosses

44. Our group is working on
phylogeography of bryophytes
in Indian subcontinent

45. Phylogeny of land plants: Two
alternative hypothesis
 Polysporangiates-many sporangia plant; consists of vascular
plants (tracheophytes). Important aquatic vascular plants are
pteridophytes, seagrasses and mangroves

46. Pteridophytes
 Consists of Ferns
 Life cycle consists of alternation of generations, characterized
by alternating diploid sporophytic and haploid gametophytic
phases

47. Classification

48. Seagrasses
 Angiosperms
 Monocots
 OrderAlismatales
 Four families:
 Cymodoceaceae
 Hydrocharitaceae
 Zosteraceae
 Posidoniaceae

49. Seagrass genera
 Cymodoceaceae family
 Amphibolis
 Cymodocea
 Halodule
 Syringodium
 Thalassodendron
 Hydrocharitaceae family
 Enhalus
 Halophila
 Thalassia
 Posidoniaceae family
 Posidonia
 Zosteraceae family
 Phyllospadix
 Zostera

50. Seagrasses reproduce through rhizomes, or horizontal stems which
grow beneath the sediment.

51. Halophila
Halophilia hawaiiana- from Hawaii

52. Zostera marina from Hokkaido, Japan

53. Mangroves
 Angiosperms > Eudicots (Various orders, polyphyletic)
 Woody plants that thrive in intertidal saline coastal
environments/swamps
 Many (black/gray mangroves) have pneumatophores-
specialized root-like structures which stick up out of the soil
like straws for breathing

54. Mangroves
 Mangroves thrive in salty environments and are able to
obtain freshwater from saltwater.
 Some spp. secrete excess salt through their leaves while
other block absorption of salt at their roots.

55. BlackMangrove,Avecenniagerminans.

58. RedMangrove,Rhizophoramangle.

59. Red Mangrove

60. RedMangrove,RhizophoramangleDolphinIsland,Andaman.

61. WhiteMangrove,Lagunculariaracemosa.

62. Mangroves
Our group is working on
phylogeography of mangroves in
Sunderbans and Kerala
Mangroves from Sundarbans Mangroves from Kerala

63. Other important aquatic plants
 Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes-an invasive aquatic plant
originated in Amazon basin

64. Edible aquatic plants
 A number of seaweeds are edible.
 Wild rice (Zizania), water caltrop (Trapa natans), Chinese
water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis), Indian lotus (Nelumbo
nucifera), water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and watercress
(Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum)

65.  Marine Biology:
 Taxonomy, phylogeography and molecular systematics of
algae, including marine macro and micro algae,
epi/endophytic algae, terrestrial algae, and freshwater
algae.
 Botany:
 Taxonomy, phylogeography and molecular systematics of
a number of higher plants, including medicinal shrubs:
Tulsi, Sarpagandha, Aswagandha, Brahmi, Betel,
Shankapushpa, and Ashoka, trees: Ficus and Salvadora.
 Linguistics:
 Tracing linguistic phylogeny of Indian languages using
computational phylogenetics.
 MedicinalChemistry:
 Phylogenetic Selection OfTargetTaxa For Anti-
Proliferative AndAnti-Metastatic Marine Natural Products
From Seaweeds Of Indian Coast
 Cancer Research:
 Phylogenetic structures in clonal evolution of metastatic
cancers; Germ-line SNPs in BRCA-1 of Malwa Population,
Genotoxicity of drinking water from Malwa region, Punjab.

66. http://sg.sg/bastfelix
 Contents hosted at this site:
Recorded video lectures of the
class hosted atYouTube,
PowerPoint presentations,
lecture hand-outs, course
materials including free e-
books, pdf files of scholarly
literature referred in the class,
solved quizzes and question
papers, consolidated student
assignments and term papers,
and pertinent hyperlinks to
news items, podcasts, and
MOOCs.
OP-79, CPDHE-University of Delhi, January 2015 66

67. Thanks!
felix.bast@gmail.com