Gracilaria harveyana J. Agardh, 1885: 59–61 (lectotype locality: Geographe Bay, Western Australia fide V. Chapman, 1979: 300, pl. 108).—De Toni, 1900: 441.— J. Agardh, 1901: 65–66.— Lucas, 1909: 30.— De Toni, 1924: 257.— Lucas & Perrin, 1947: 189.— V. May, 1948: 57–58, pl. 15: fig. 1 (forma harveyana).— V. May, 1965: 393.— Huisman et al., 1990: 94.— Kendrick, Huisman, & Walker, 1990: 51.— Withell, Millar, & Kraft, 1994: 291–294, 346, figs. 9, 10.
Taxonomic synonym:
* Polyides flagelliformis Sonder, 1845: 55 (type locality: Western Australia).
Gigartina flagelliformis (Sonder) Sonder, 1848 [1846–1848]: 176.—Kützing, 1849: 751.— J. Agardh, 1851 [1851–1863]: 283.— Harvey, 1863: xliv.— Kützing, 1869: 7, pl. 18: figs. c, d.— Sonder, 1880: 15.— De Toni, 1897: 227.— Lucas, 1909: 25.
INDIAN OCEAN DISTRIBUTION: Australia.
Note: Withell, Millar, & Kraft (1994: 293), having been informed by H.B.S. Womersley that Polyides flagelliformis is an earlier synonym of Gracilaria harveyana, retained the later name and expressed their intention to propose it for conservation. The Sydney and Berlin versions of the ICBN permitted conservation of specific names only if they applied to species of major economic importance, but this restriction was removed at Yokohama in 1993. In their discussion, Withell, Millar, & Kraft (l.c.) used the combination Gracilaria flagelliformis, but this name is invalid as it was not accepted by its authors. Womersley (pers. comm.) will validate that combination in the next part (IIIB) of his Marine benthic flora of southern Australia, scheduled to appear in 1996.