Contribution to the knowledge of red algae (Rhodophyta) of some rivers in Central Italy

There are no specific studies on freshwater red algae from Italy, and the few existing data are reported in broader studies on algae of rivers. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of this algal group in Italy, providing data on their distribution, morphological features and ecology. Samples of Lemanea fluviatilis, L. sudetica and Batrachospermum gelatinosum were collected from 5 stations in the Tiber River basin (Central Italy). The recorded taxa are known as typical elements of European rivers' algal flora, however they were reported in a few times in Italy. Our records, therefore, have widened their geographical distribution. Morever, the finding of L. sudetica was, for the first time, recorded with certainty in rivers of Central Italy.