Based on morphology and molecular data, Palisada rigida comb. nov. and Laurencia decussata comb. et stat. nov. (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae) are proposed

Inspecting herbaria collections of Laurencia rigida highlighted frequent misidentifications between L. rigida and L. heteroclada f. decussata, two poorly studied taxa from Australia. Recent collections of DNA material, including from topo-type material, allowed for re-examination of these two taxa using molecular techniques. Detailed morphological and molecular analyses based on two markers (rbcL and COI-5P) strongly supported these two taxa as being distinct from each other and requiring nomenclatural changes. Comprehensive morphological analyses highlighted features useful for accurate identifications. Interestingly, L. rigida was found to belong to the genus Palisada with evidence from both the morphology and molecular data. Therefore, this study proposed recognizing L. rigida as Palisada rigida comb. nov. Mo-lecular data for L. heteroclada f. decussata on the other hand supported its separation from L. heteroclada, with too great a molecular distance to be considered a variety. Morphological characters that best separated P. rigida from L. decussata included seven characters; number of pericentral cells per vegetative axial segment, the presence of secondary pit con-nections, the presence of lenticular thickenings, tetrasporangia alignment, the presence of corps en cerise, holdfast mor-phology, and overall plant shape. Morphologically, L. heteroclada f. decussata was also separated from L. heteroclada, particularly by the following characteristics; ultimate branchlets morphologies, lower order branch lengths, primary axis and holdfast morphologies. Therefore, it was proposed that L. heteroclada f. decussata is recognized at a species level as L. decussata comb. et stat. nov.