Rhodymenia spinulosa Okamura, 1934 [1933–1942]: 33 [English], 30 [Japanese], pl. 318: figs. 1–6 (type locality: Tainan, Taiwan).
Gracilaria purpurascens J. Agardh forma spinulosa (Okamura) Yamada, 1941a: 204.—Isaac, 1971: 18.
Gracilaria spinulosa (Okamura) Chang & B. Xia, 1976: 148.
INDIAN OCEAN DISTRIBUTION: Kenya.