Chondria filiformis C. Agardh, 1822 [1822–1823]: 358–359 (type locality: Western Australia).—C. Agardh, 1824: 208.
Plocaria filiformis (C. Agardh) Endlicher, 1843: 51.
Laurencia filiformis (C. Agardh) Montagne, 1845: 125.—Kützing, 1849: 853–854.— J. Agardh, 1852 [1851–1863]: 745–746.— Harvey, 1863: xxv.— J. Agardh, 1876: 644–645.— Sonder, 1880: 29.— De Toni, 1903: 779.— Lucas, 1909: 38.— Yamada, 1931b: 226–227, pl. 18a.— Børgesen, 1934a: 20.— Børgesen, 1934b: 46.— P. Anand, 1943b: 30.— Lucas & Perrin, 1947: 247.— K. Srinivasan, 1961a: 239.— Salim, 1965: 193, 195, 196.— S. Dixit, 1966: 20.— Saito & Womersley, 1974: 832–835, figs. 3C,D, 14–16.— Capon et al., 1981: 1614.— Brennan & Erickson, 1982: 3917.— Erickson, 1983: 134, 136, 139, 140, 227.— R. Qasim & Barkati, 1985: table 2.— Kendrick, Walker, & McComb, 1988: 205, table 1.— Ghisalberti & Jefferies, 1990: 99, table 3.— Huisman et al., 1990: 97.— Huisman & Walker, 1990: 437.— Kendrick, Huisman, & Walker, 1990: 52.— Naqvi et al., 1992: 136.— Shameel & J. Tanaka, 1992: 53.
Taxonomic synonyms:
* Laurencia affinis Sonder, 1845: 55 (type locality: Western Australia).—Sonder, 1848 [1846–1848]: 178–179.— Harvey, 1849 [1847–1849]: 84–85.— Kützing, 1849: 854.— J. Agardh, 1852 [1851–1863]: 744–745.— Harvey, 1863: xxv.— Kützing, 1865: 17, pl. 45: figs. c, d.— J. Agardh, 1876: 646.— Sonder, 1880: 29.— De Toni, 1903: 780.— Lucas, 1909: 38.
Laurencia forsteri (Mertens ex Turner) Greville forma affinis (Sonder) Yamada, 1931b: 214, pl. 13a.
* Laurencia forsteri (Mertens ex Turner) Greville forma delicatula Sonder, 1848 [1846–1848]: 178 (type locality: Western Australia fide Saito & Womersley, 1974: 834).—Kützing, 1849: 854.— Kützing, 1865: 17, pl. 47: figs. a–c.— G. Martens, 1868: 32, 100–101.— Möbius, 1893: 138.
Laurencia forsteri (Mertens ex Turner) Greville var. delicatula (Sonder) De Wildeman, 1897a: 174.—De Wildeman, 1900: 415.
* Laurencia forsteri (Mertens ex Turner) Greville forma elata Sonder, 1848 [1846–1848]: 178 (type locality: Western Australia fide Saito & Womersley, 1974: 834).—Kützing, 1849: 854.— Kützing, 1865: 17, pl. 48 (center).
Laurencia forsteri (Mertens ex Turner) Greville var. elata (Sonder) Harvey, 1855b: 544.—Harvey, 1863: xxv.— Sonder, 1880: 29.
* Laurencia forsteri (Mertens ex Turner) Greville forma fragilis Sonder, 1848 [1846–1848]: 178 (type locality: Western Australia fide Saito & Womersley, 1974: 834).—Kützing, 1849: 854.— Kützing, 1865: 17, pl. 48 (upper left).
* Laurencia forsteri (Mertens ex Turner) Greville forma gracilis Sonder, 1848 [1846–1848]: 178 (type locality: Western Australia fide Saito & Womersley, 1974: 834).—Kützing, 1849: 854.— Kützing, 1865: 17, pl. 47: figs. d, e.
Laurencia scoparia J. Agardh, 1852 [1851–1863]: 746–747 (syntype localities: La Guaira, Venezuela; Brazil).—Durairatnam, 1963: 23.
Misapplied name (fide Saito & Womersley, 1974: 832–835):
Laurencia forsteri.—Harvey, 1849 [1847–1849]: 85 (in part).— J. Agardh, 1852 [1851–1863]: 744 (in part).— Harvey, 1855b: 544 (in part).— J. Agardh, 1876: 645–646 (in part).— De Toni & Levi, 1888: 63 (in part ?).— De Toni, 1903: 779–780 (in part).— Lucas, 1909: 38 (in part).— De Toni & Forti, 1923: 36–37 (in part).— De Toni, 1924: 369 (in part).
INDIAN OCEAN DISTRIBUTION: Australia, Indonesia (Java and Sumatra), Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
Note: The conspecificity of Laurencia scoparia and L. filiformis was noted by Rodríguez de Ríos & Saito (1985: 19). The remainder of the synonymy was proposed by Saito & Womersley (1974: 832–835). Those authors pointed out that L. filiformis and L. forsteri (Mertens ex Turner) Greville have long been confused.