Charophytes of Australia’s Northern Territory – II. Tribe Nitelleae

This study of Northern Territory charophytes deals with the tribe Nitelleae in family Characeae. We recognise 16 species of Nitella for the Territory. The list includes seven previously described species (Nitella belangeri, N. biformis, N. congesta, N. heterophylla, N. micklei, N. myriotricha and N.tumulosa, of which N. belangeri and N. tumulosa are newly recorded for the Australian flora), and nine newly described species (N. acanthospora, N. boreali-australis, N. crocodylus, N. limosa, N.martinii, N. nitida, N. oollooensis, N. silicea and N. townsendii). Of the five previously reported Nitella species in the Northern Territory (N. hyalina, N. myriotricha, N. penicillata, N. pseudoflabellata and N. subtilissima), only N. myriotricha is recorded in this study, because the other records were based on erroneous identifications or localities. All Nitella species described here can be distinguished on the basis of their morphology and reproductive arrangement. Keys, illustrations and descriptions of all the species are provided