ABSTRACT
The genus Caulerpa is an important component of the phycological flora from the Brazilian Northeast Coast. The aim of the present research was to identify, describe and provide information about the distribution and ecology of the species of this genus at the coast of Alagoas State, contributing to the knowledge of the Brazilian phycolo- gical flora, which is poorly known in this regionThe specimens were collected from six beaches along the coast of Alagoas State. Caulerpa exsiccates deposited in the MAC Herbarium of the Environmental Institute of Alagoas were also analyzed. Fourteen infrageneric taxa were identified, distributed into in twelve species and three varieties, growing on rocky and sandy substrates. In this work, it is reported for the first time on the coast of Alagoas the occurrence of C. cupressoides var. flabellata, C. kempfii, C. mexicana, C. microphysa, C. verticillata and Caulerpa sp.
Keywords:
Caulerpa; green algae; macroalgae; Northeastern Brazil; taxonomy
