Proposal for the Sungminiaceae fam. nov. (Ralfsiales, Phaeophyceae) for Sungminia gen. nov. with three new species based on molecular and morphological analyses

Based on morphological and molecular analyses, five families have been recognized within the crustose brown algal order Ralfsiales. Our morphological and molecular sequence data were used to assess the establishment and phylogenetic relationship of Sungminia gen. nov. Phylogenies based on rbcL and concatenated rbcL and COI-5P genes support the recognition of Sungminia composed of three distinct lineages, Sungminia gladiata sp. nov., S. pyriformis sp. nov., and S. asiatica sp. nov. We consider that the Sungminia group is clearly distinct at the family level and propose to place Sungminia in a new family, the Sungminiaceae fam. Nov. Our phylogenetic analyses show that the Sungminiaceae forms a strongly supported monophyletic clade with probable sister relationship to the Mesosporaceae. The Sungminiaceae is characterized by perithallial erect filaments moderately adhered, the rod-shaped perithallial erect filaments, plurangia terminated with single sterile cell, and unangia terminally inserted on 1-2 celled stalk that is lateral-basal or sessile to a paraphysis.