Species Description: Valves of this species are narrowly clavate and flat, very gradually widening from the somewhat capitate foot pole to the head pole, which is broadly rounded (Fig. 2, SEM). Cells are very narrowly wedge-shaped in girdle view (Fig. 1, colony form adapted from Haeckel 1904) with a very short septum. The head pole has a rimoportula subtending a series of short striae around the apex (Fig. 3, detail of Fig. 2). The foot pole normally lacks a rimoportula (Fig. 4, detail of Fig. 2) but the species is somewhat uncommon for Licmophora in that there are several rimoportulae scattered along the length of the valve (Fig. 5, valve center, SEM; and Fig. 3). The striae are transverse except at the poles, and consist of mostly subquadrate poroid areolae (Figs. 3-5). According to Sar & Ferrario (1990), the length is 135-260µm and the width is 4-7.5µm at the head pole and 3-4µm at the foot pole (Hustedt 1931-66, gives 60-300µm and 5-13µm). The striae number 29-34 in 10µm. This species is common in the IRL system, primarily attached to red or brown seaweeds.
Haeckel E. 1904. Kunstformen der Natur. Bibliographisches Instituts Verlag, Leipzig. 396pp.
Hustedt F. 1931-1966. Die Kieselalgen Deutschlands, Österreich und der Schweiz. In: Dr. L. Rabenhorst’s Kryptogamen-Flora von Deutschlands, Österreich und der Schweiz 7(1): 1-920; 7(2): 1-845; 7(3): 1-816. J Cramer Verlag, Weinheim.
Sar EA, Ferrario ME. 1990. Licmophora flabellata: Ultrastructure and taxonomy I. Implication. Diat Res 5: 403-408.