Part 2/2 of Engler's Syllabus of Plant Families - Rhodophyta provides a thorough treatise of the world-wide morphological and molecular diversity of the division Rhodophyta. The Rhodophyta are a group of algae with a fascinating range of morphological and ecological diversity, distributed from tropical to temperate marine waters with a high diversity in the Southern Hemisphere.
The present volume is, as the formerly published volumes of the Syllabus, an updated synthesis of classical anatomical-morphological characters with modern molecular data, incorporating numerous new discoveries made during the last ten years, providing a comprehensive modern survey covering all families and genera of the Rhodophyta including detailed family descriptions.
Following the tradition of Engler, and incorporating the latest results from molecular phylogenetics and phylogenomics, the completely restructured and revised 13th edition provides an up-to-date evolutionary and systematic overview of the fungal and plant groups. It is a mandatory reference for students, experts and researchers from all fields of biological sciences, particularly botany, phycology and mycology.
Engler's Syllabus of Plant Families has since its first publication in 1887 aimed to provide both the researcher, and particularly the students with a concise survey of the plant kingdom as a whole, presenting all higher systematic units right down to families and genera of plants and fungi. In 1954, more than 60 years ago, the 12th edition of the well-known "Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien" ("Syllabus of Plant Families"), set a standard.
Now, the completely restructured and revised 13th edition of Engler's Syllabus published in 5 parts and in English language for the first time also considers molecular data, which have only recently become available in order to provide an up-to-date evolutionary and systematic overview of the plant groups treated.
In our "molecular times" there is a vitally important and growing need to preserve the knowledge of the entire range of diversity and biology of organisms for coming generations, as there is a decline in "classical" morphological and taxonomical expertise, especially for less popular (showy) groups of organisms.
Accordingly, the 13th edition of Syllabus of Plant Families synthesizes both modern data and classical expertise, serving to educate future experts who will maintain our knowledge of the full range of Earth's biodiversity.
Syllabus of Plant Families is a mandatory reference for students, experts and researchers from all fields of biological sciences, particularly botany and mycology.

Adolf Engler’s Syllabus of plant families has been published since 1887 with the aim to provide a concise survey of plants and fungi, presenting all higher systematic units down to families and genera. The 13th edition is published in five parts and contains not just morphological information but also considers up-to-date molecular data. This volume is Part 2/2 providing a basic treatise of the worldwide morphological and molecular diversity of the Rhodophyta, i.e. red algae.
The Rhodophyta belongs to the kingdom Plantae, which involves the chlorophytes and the land plants among others. This lineage evolved via the endosymbiotic association between a heterotrophic eukaryote host cell and a cyanobacterial endosymbiont. Having some unique features regarding their cell structure, intercellular connections and life history the red algae form a monophyletic lineage within Plantae.
The majority of the red algae are marine, distributed from the upper intertidal to deep sublittoral zones. Their diversity is high in the pantropical regions and relatively low in the polar seas. About 200 of the total of more than 7,000 species live in freshwater habitats mainly in small to midsized streams. Some species inhabit brackish regions. The ecological preferences of red algal taxa are various, some species can tolerate extreme environmental conditions, like low pH or high temperature.
The organisation of red algae varies from unicells to thalli with different morphology. These algae show diverse life forms including epilithic, epiphytic and planktonic taxa. Some of them are obligate epiphytes occurring on specific hosts, e.g. macroalgae. Over 80 species live as endophytes within the tissues of other seaweeds. More than 100 species have been described as parasites occurring exclusively on red algal hosts. There are also epi- and endozoic taxa living with sponges, bryozoans, sertularians, crustaceans, foraminifera or even sloth as hosts.
At the beginning of this book a general characterisation of cell structure, motility, life history, ecology, taxonomy and phylogeny of red algae is given. In the main part of the volume the forty currently existing orders with 106 families of seven classes in two subdivisions are described following the system provided in the chapter “Synopsis of their classification”. The characterisation of the classes gives information on the organisation, cell structure (including chloroplast and mitochondrion ultrastructure, photosynthetic pigments, association between Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum, storage polysaccharide, low molecular weight carbohydrate), motility, life history, life form, distribution, ecology and phylogeny of the algae ranked into the class. The orders are mostly characterised by short descriptions of the families involved. These delineations touch the organisation, chloroplast ultrastructure, low molecular weight carbohydrate and the habitat. The most important genera and species along with their main morphological features are also listed in the characterisations of the orders.
The book is illustrated with colourful photographs and light micrographs on various taxa helping the understanding of the descriptions.
Overall, this volume provides valuable information about an interesting group of algae based on up-to-date knowledge. It can be recommended to both students and researchers interested in these organisms.

M. Duleba

Acta Botanica Hungarica 59(3–4), pp. 459–460, 2017

Dieser Teilband behandelt die Rotalgen, Rhodophyta, in genauso bewährter Weise wie die anderen Teile des Syllabus – unter Berücksichtigung morphologischer und molekulargenetischer Merkmale. Gerade die Rotalgen zeichnen sich durch eine große morphologische Diversität aus, es gibt bis zu drei Generationen im Lebenszyklus mit zwei Vegetationskörpern und die Thalli reichen von einzellig bis zu komplizierten dreidimensionalen Geweben. Hinter dieser morphologischen steckt dann natürlich auch eine große genetische Vielfalt.
Genauso wie in Teil 2/1 sind neben Hirshi Kawai, der die Koordination der Autoren übernommen hat, jeweils Experten für die einzelnen Algengruppen verantwortlich: Mitsunobu Kamiya (Rhodophyta: Charakterisierung und Verwandtschaft; Florideophyceae, Nemaliophycidae, Rhodymeniophycidae p.p.), Sandra C. Lindstrom (Bangiophyceae, Nemaliophycidae p.p., Rhodymeniophycidae), Takeshi Nakayama und Akiko Yokoyama (Cyanidiophyceae; Comsopogonophyceae, Porphyridiophyceae, Rhodellophyceae, Stylonematophyceae), Showe-Mei Lin und Michael D. Guiryin (Nemaliophycidae p.p., Rhodymeniophycidae p.p.), Carlos F. Deluqui Gurdel (Hildenbrandiophycidae, Rhodymeniophycidae p.p.), John M. Huisman (Rhodymeniophycidae p.p.), Taiju Kitayama (Nemaliophycidae p.p.), Masahiro Suzuki and Tae O. Cho (Rhodymeniophycidae p.p.). Wolfgang Frey bewerkstelligte die abschließende Synopsis.
Der allgemeine Teil enthält nach Vorwort, Abkürzungsverzeichnis und Einleitung eine Charakterisierung der Merkmale und systematischen Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen der Rotalgen, gefolgt von einer Synopsis der aktuellen Klassifikation. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Darstellung der Systematik der Rotalgentaxa dargelegt in systematischer Reihenfolge. Neue Forschungsergebnisse revolutionierten gerade die Systematik der Rotalgen in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten. All das ist in diesen Syllabus eingearbeitet, der eine komplette phylogenetische Synopsis aller Taxa bis zur Gattung bringt mit genauen Beschreibungen für alle Familien und der vollständigen Auflistung der Gattungen der Familien, inclusive geschätzter Artenzahlen für die Familien und Gattungen, insgesamt ca. 7000 Arten weltweit. Eine kleinere Anzahl Rotalgen findet man im Süßwasser, die meisten jedoch in den Meeren. Auch ökologisch sind sie äußerst divers von Aufwuchsalgen bis zu Planktonalgen, Aufwuchsalgen und Symbionten in Foraminiferen und Schwämmen. In ansprechenden neuen farbigen Schemata werden der Generationswechsel und die verschiedenen Karposporophyt-Entwicklungen illustriert. Selbstverständlich ist auch ein molekularer phylogenetischer Baum der Rotalgen enthalten. Jedes Kapitel endet mit ausführlichen Literaturangaben. Sehr erfreulich sind die vielen farbigen Abbildungen der diversen Habiti, angefangen von einzelligen Formen, die oft vernachlässigt werden, über fädige bis zu blatt- und strauchartigen. Durch diese Farbabbildungen wird die Fülle an Morphotypen auch dem weniger rotalgenerfahrenen Leser anschaulich nähergebracht. Trotz der schwierigen Materie liest sich der sorgfältig redigierte Text flüssig und die Charakterisierungen bieten eine reichhaltige Übersicht. Wissenslücken in der Erforschung der Rotalgen vor allem bei ursprünglicheren Gruppen werden als solche aufgezeigt und nicht beschönigt. Ergänzende Bemerkungen zu einzelnen Taxa sind im Kleindruck besonders bei noch nicht gänzlich gesicherten Erkenntnissen. Im Appendix finden sich noch weitere Taxa, die nach der Erstellung des Manuskriptes noch ergänzt werden konnten. Den Schluss bildet der Index der Taxa bis zum Gattungsniveau.
Auch dieser Band des Syllabus ist ein Muss für jede biologische Bibliothek und wird auch Generationen von Professoren und Studierenden noch als Standardwerk hervorragende Dienste leisten.

Irmgard Krisai-Greilhuber

Österr. Z. Pilzk. 26 (2017) – Austrian J. Mycol. 26 (2017)

This part deals with the red algae, Rhodophyta, in the same way as the other parts of the syllabus - taking into account morphological and molecular-genetic traits. The red algae are characterized by a great morphological diversity, there are up to three generations in the life cycle with two vegetation bodies and the thalli range from unicellular to complex three-dimensional tissues. Of course, there is also a great genetic diversity behind this morphological one.
In the same way as in Part 2/1, in addition to the co-ordination of the authors by Hirshi Kawai, specialists are responsible for each group of algae: Mitsunobu Kamiya (Rhodophyta: characterization and relationship, Florideophyceae, Ne-maliophycidae, Rhodymeniophycidae pp.), Sandra C. Lindstrom (Bangiophyceae, Nemaliophycidae pp., Rhodymeniophycidae), Takeshi Nakayama and Akiko Yokoyama (Cyanidi-ophyceac, Comsopogonophyceae, Porphyridiophyceae, rho-dellophyceae, Stylonematophyceae), Showe-Mei Lund Michael D. Guiryin (Nemaliophycidae pp. Rhodymeniophycidae pp), Carlos F. Deluqui Gurdel (Hildenbrandiophycidae, Rhodymeniophycidae pp.), John M. Huisman (Rhodymeniophycidae pp.), Taiju Kilayama (Nemaliophycidae pp.), Masahiro Suzuki and Tae O. Cho (Rhodymeniophycidae pp.). Wolfgang Frey made the final synopsis.
The general part contains a foreword, a list of abbreviations, and an introduction to the characteristics and systematic relationships of red algae, followed by a synopsis of the current classification. The focus is on the presentation of the system of Rhodophyta taxa set out in a systematic order. New research has just revolutionized the system of red algae in the last two decades. All this is incorporated into this syllabus, which offers a complete phylogenetic synopsis of all taxa down to the genus with detailed descriptions for all families and a complete listing of the genera of the families, including estimated species numbers for the families and genera, totaling approximately 7000 species worldwide. A smaller number of red algae are found in fresh water, but most occur in the oceans. Also ecologically, they are extremely diverse from benthic algae to planktonic algae, Aufwuchs-algae and symbionts in Foraminiferae and sponges. Appealing new colored schemes illustrate the life cycle and the various karposporophyte developments. Of course, a molecular phylogenetic tree of red algae is also included. Each chapter ends with detailed references. Very pleasing are the many colored illustrations of the various habiti, ranging from unicellular forms, which are often neglected, over filamentous to f oliose and shrubby. Through these colour illustrations, the abundance of morphotypes is also brought closer to the less red-algae-experienced reader. Despite the difficult subject, the carefully edited text reads fluently and the characterizations provide a rich overview. Knowledge gaps in the research of red algae especially in more original groups are shown as such and not hidden. Supplementary remarks to individual taxa are in small print, particularly with uncertain findings. The appendix also contains further taxa that could be supplemented after the editorial deadline. An index of taxa up to genus level is at the end.
This volume of syllabus is also a must have for any biological library and will continue to serve generations of professors and students as a standard work.

Irmgard Krisai-Greilhuber Wien, Austria

Sydowia 69 (2017)