Ectocarpus rallsiae Vickers, 1905: 59 (type locality: Barbados).
Giffordia rallsiae (Vickers) W.R. Taylor, 1960: 208.—Jaasund, 1969: 259–260, fig. 5.— Islam, 1974b: 85.— Islam, 1976: 31, pl. 16: figs. 119–121.— Jaasund, 1976: 37, fig. 73.— Jaasund, 1977d: 515.— Lawson, 1980: 24.— Bolton & Stegenga, 1987: 170.
Hincksia rallsiae (Vickers) P. Silva in P. Silva, Meñez, & Moe, 1987: 73, 130.—M. Begum & Khatoon, 1988: 292, 303.— M. Begum & Khatoon, 1992a: 246–248, figs. 5, 6.— Shameel & J. Tanaka, 1992: 35.
INDIAN OCEAN DISTRIBUTION: Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania.
Note: Børgesen (1941: 23–31) placed Ectocarpus rallsiae in the synonymy of E. irregularis Kützing (Feldmannia irregularis (Kützing) G. Hamel (q.v.)), but subsequent authors have recognized both species. Kristiansen, Nielsen, & Pedersen (1993: 96–97) questioned the generic placement of E. rallsiae, pointing out that the illustration given by Vickers (in Vickers & Shaw, 1908: pl. XXXII) does not show the features characteristic of either Feldmannia or Hincksia, namely, meristematic zones and discoid chloroplasts. An examination of authentic specimens should be undertaken.