Catalog of the Benthic Marine Algae of the ... - SeaweedAfrica

nomen novum serves as the basionym (unless it too is a later
homonym). Gracilaria lichenoides, for example, is usually
attributed to (Turner) Greville, but Fucus lichenoides
Turner, the intended basionym, is a later homonym, and
hence not priorable. The first generic placement outside
Fucus was to Gigartina by Lamouroux. Gigartina lichenoides
Lamouroux thus is treated as a nomen novum and serves
as the basionym of Sphaerococcus lichenoides and Gracilaria
lichenoides.
Geographic distribution is indicated primarily by island
or island group (Figure 1), secondarily by province within
the island or island group (Figure 2). The islands or island
groups are listed in four successive northwest-southeast
sweeps, thus: BATANES, LUZON, CATANDUANES; MINDORO,
MARINDUQUE, ROMBLON, MASBATE, SAMAR, LEYTE; PANAY,
GUIMARAS, NEGROS, CEBU, SIQUIJOR, BOHOL, CAMIGUIN, MIN­
DANAO, BASILAN; PALAWAN, SULU. Within Luzon, the provinces
are listed from north to south, first on the west coast
(from Cagayan to Batangas), then on the east coast (from
Isabela to Sorsogon). When appropriate, certain minor islands
(arbitrarily limited to those labeled on United States
Hydrographic Office Chart 14,200) are indicated parenthetically
within provinces.
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MARINE SCIENCES
Cordero (1977a) has classified the Philippine Archipelago
into four marine floristic regions, namely, the South China
Sea region (Batanes, northwestern Luzon, and Mindoro),
the Pacific Ocean region (northeastern Luzon, Marinduque,
and Romblon), the Sulu Sea-Celebes Sea region (Palawan,
Sulu Archipelago, Basilan, and the southern tip of Zamboanga
del Sur), and the inland water region (all Visayan
provinces and most of Mindanao). While we appreciate this
attempt to bring phytogeographical order to the physiographic
chaos presented by the 7,100 islands of the Philippine
Archipelago, we believe that the purposes of this
catalog are better served by an essentially linear sequence
of localities. This sequence obviates the complication of
listing Luzon in three regions and Mindanao in two regions.
(In fact, the east coast of Mindanao, not specified by Cordero,
should be included in the Pacific Ocean region, giving
a total of three regions for that island.) It also avoids the
arbitrary placement of Cagayan Province in the Pacific
Ocean region. (The Babuyan Islands, which are politically
part of Cagayan Province, are influenced equally by the
South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, as are the Batan
Islands, which Cordero places in the South China Sea region.)