DESMID FLORA OF INDIA-I , GENUS NETRIUM (NÄGELI ) ITZIGSON AND ROTHE (MESOTAENIACEAE, DESMIDIALES, CONJUGATOPHYCEAE) FROM WEST BENGAL

Present communication deals with seven taxa of Netrium (Nägeli)) Itzigson and Rothe. viz. N. digitus (Ehrenberg) Itzigson et Rothe var. digitus, N. digitus var. rhomboideum Grönblad, N. digitus var. scottii Prescott f. minus Prescott, Croasdale & Vinyard, N. digitus var. rectum (Turner) Krieger and N. elongatumOhtani. Of the above five taxa, four taxa are reported for the first time from West Bengal, and latter two being recorded probably for the first time from India. Two taxa viz. N. bengalicum sp. nov., and N. indicum sp. nov. are proposed as new to science.