The morpho-anatomic examination of vegetative and reproductive specimens of the genus Liagora collected along the Apulian coasts has led to the identification of three distinct species: L. viscida, L. distenta and L. ceranoides. The finding of L. distenta extends to the eastern Italian coasts the distribution range of this species. L. ceranoides represents a new record to the Italian macroalgal flora.

A critical re-examination of both recent and historical herbarium specimens from the Mediterranean Sea attributed to Gelidiella ramellosa highlighted that previous identifications were incorrect. Our investigations have demonstrated that the examined specimens actually belong to the genus Parviphycus; some of them must be attributed to the recently described P. albertanoae and some to the undescribed species Parviphycus bompardii. The new species shows morphological features that distinguish it from the other congeners and represents the fifth species of the genus occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. Parviphycus bompardii is readily recognizable for both branching pattern and characteristics of tetrasporangial sori. Results of this study suggest a re-examination of previous Mediterranean records attributed to G. ramellosa and a much more accurate approach to future records of Gelidiales. An identification key to Mediterranean species of Parviphycus is also presented based on our results and also on a review of the literature.

Parviphycus albertanoae sp. nov. was described from the southern Adriatic Sea, Italy on the basis of morphological and molecular data. The new species formed dense tufts at the upper intertidal level on rocky substrata, exposed to intense wave action. Distinctive morphological characters were compressed upright axes closely arising from short stolons, numerous first-order branches and clavate tetrasporangial sori at main and lateral apices. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cox1 and plastid rbcL sequence data revealed that P. albertanoae was clearly separated from the congeners of the genus, corroborating the morphological distinctness.