Morphology and phylogenetic placement of Mallomonas vietnamica (Synurales, Chrysophyceae) from China

The newly described chrysophyte, Mallomonas vietnamica, is reported for the first time in China from specimens collected in Guizhou Province, SW China. The morphological characteristics were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. The species was described based on morphological characteristics, including cell size, scale size, dome, V-rib, and bristles. Subsequently, molecular sequencing of M. vietnamica was conducted and a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on concatenated SSU, LSU, and rbcL sequences. The phylogenetic tree led us to suggest raising a new section named Uncatusipedae for this species. This study provides new molecular data from the genus Mallomonas and enriches our understanding of the species diversity and geographical distribution of the genus Mallomonas in China.