The coralline red algal herbarium of Mikael Foslie: revised catalogue with analyses

Abstract

On a world-scale, the nongeniculate coralline red algal herbarium of Mikael Foslie arguably constitutes the single most important resource for scientists engaged in taxonomic studies of these algae. Foslie described more new taxa of nongeniculate corallines than any other person, and his herbarium is extremely rich in type material. Type specimens are critical in taxonomic work because they underpin the correct application of names to taxa and thus bring stability to the use of names in taxonomic, ecological and other research. The richness of type and other historically significant specimens in Foslie’s nongeniculate coralline herbarium renders it an international scientific treasure. There is no doubt that Foslie’s material will continue to play a pivotal role in the development of our taxonomic understanding of one of the more diverse and ecologically important groups of marine algae.