Resumen

SOLE, María A.  y  FOLDATS, Ernesto. The genus Dictyota (Phaeophiceae, Dictyotales) in the Venezuelan Caribbean. Acta Bot. Venez. [online]. 2003, vol.26, n.1, pp.41-82. ISSN 0084-5906.

ABSTRACT     The genus Dictyota, which has a cosmopolitan distribution, comprises about 70 species with an important presence in the Caribbean. In Venezuela, the genus is distributed all around the coast, and it is one of the most frequent and representative. In this work, taxonomic revision of the genus was carried out with herbarium specimens and recent collections. Complete descriptions and figures are given together with a discussion on the taxonomic identity of each species. Phenology aspects and local and regional distribution are considered. Through this study, the presence of 14 species in Venezuela was established which represents a report of 70% for the western Atlantic region. The rare presence of gametophytes in the studied material coincide with the uncommon occurrence in natural populations.

Palabras clave : Dictyota; taxonomy; Caribbean; Venezuela.