Spirogyra is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae of the order Zygnematales, named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is characteristic of the genus. Spirogyra species, of which there are more than 400, are commonly found in freshwater habitats. Spirogyra measures approximately 10 to 100 micrometres in width and may grow to several centimetres in length. It is often observed as green slimy patches on the ground near ponds and other water bodies having stagnant water.
Ulothrix is a genus of green algae in the family Ulotrichaceae.
Oedogonium is a genus of filamentous, free-living green algae. It was first discovered in the fresh waters of Poland in 1860 by W. Hilse, and later given its name by German scientist K. E. Hirn.
Botryococcus is a genus of green algae. The cells form an irregularly shaped aggregate. Thin filaments connect the cells. The cell body is ovoid, 6 to 10 μm long, and 3 to 6 μm wide. Fossils of the genus are known since Precambrian times, and form the single largest biological contributor to crude oil, and are a major component of oil shales.
Draparnaldia is a genus of freshwater green algae in the family Chaetophoraceae. Draparnaldia are uniseriate; each filament is composed of a chain of cells arranged in one row. Chloroplasts appear as a band within the center of each cell. The length of the main axis cells are generally the same, regardless of whether or not they bear branches. These side branches are divided extensively into terminal hairs. The entire plant is enveloped in loose, slippery mucilage. Draparnaldia is a cosmopolitan genus with wide distribution and it is usually found in cold aerated waters. They are either attached to sand or grow epiphytically on other aquatic plants. Draparnaldia can be seen growing in clear streams trailing on stones and boulders. Herman S. Forest of The Southern Appalachian Botanical Club has stated that while not common, it is present frequently enough to be recorded in almost all local flora lists of green algae that have been compiled. A multitude of species are present in Lake Baikal, Siberia and have been described by Meyer and Jasnitzky. A species of the genus had been placed and described in the Linnean Herbarium as Conferva mutabilis Roth in 1797. Nowadays Conferva is no longer used and the species is described as Draparnaldia mutabilis (Roth) Bory. Bory is added in honour of the researcher of the same name, based on whose description the genus was separated from similar appearing forms. Bory is accredited with the establishment of the genus.
Chara is a genus of charophyte green algae in the family Characeae. They are multicellular and superficially resemble land plants because of stem-like and leaf-like structures. They are found in freshwater, particularly in limestone areas throughout the northern temperate zone, where they grow submerged, attached to the muddy bottom. They prefer less oxygenated and hard water and are not found in waters where mosquito larvae are present. They are covered with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) deposits and are commonly known as stoneworts. Cyanobacteria have been found growing as epiphytes on the surfaces of Chara, where they may be involved in fixing nitrogen, which is important to plant nutrition.
Lithoglypha is a fungal genus in the family Acarosporaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single species Lithoglypha aggregata, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen found in South Africa.
Gallaicolichen is a fungal genus that contains the single species Gallaicolichen pacificus, a foliicolous (leaf-dwelling) lichen. Originally discovered in Hawaii in 2007, G. pacificus has since been found in various locations across the Pacific, including Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Philippines, and Japan. The lichen forms small, pale greenish-yellow to yellowish-grey patches on leaves, typically in mid-altitude forests and along forest edges. G. pacificus is notable for its unique reproductive structures called peltidiangia, which produce disc-shaped propagules (peltidia) for asexual reproduction. Initially, its taxonomic classification was uncertain, but recent discoveries of specimens with sexual reproductive structures have enabled scientists to confidently place it within the family Porinaceae.
Bangia is an extant genus of division Rhodophyta that grows in marine or freshwater habitats. Bangia has small thalli with rapid growth and high reproductive output, and exhibits behavior characteristic of r-selected species. The plants are attached by down-growing rhizoids, usually in dense purple-black to rust-colored clumps. The chloroplasts of Bangia, like others in the division Rhodophyta, contain chlorophyll a and sometimes chlorophyll d, as well as accessory pigments such as phycobilin pigments and xanthophylls. Depending on the relative proportions of these pigments and the light conditions, the overall color of the plant can range from green to red to purple to grey; however, the red pigment, phycoerythrin, is usually dominant.
Hildenbrandia is a genus of thalloid red alga comprising about 26 species. The slow-growing, non-mineralized thalli take a crustose form. Hildenbrandia reproduces by means of conceptacles and produces tetraspores.
Sirodotia Kylin (1912) is a genus of freshwater red alga in the Batrachospermaceae family, found in temperate and tropical waters. It was first described by Kylin in 1912.
Zosterocarpus abyssicola is a species of brown algae endemic to the Galapagos islands.
Crustaphytum is a genus of red alga first discovered in Taoyuan algal reefs by Taiwanese scientists. The epithet “crusta” refers to crustose thallus and “phytum” refers to plant. Belonging to the family Hapalidiaceae in the order Hapalidiales, Crustaphytum is one kind of crustose coralline algae.
The Pterocladiophilaceae is a small family of red algae containing 2 genera of thallus parasitic algae.
Naccariaceae is a family of red algae in the order Bonnemaisoniales, with 3 monotypic genera that are found in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Mougeotia is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae of the order Zygnematales. It is a common component of freshwater aquatic habitats around the world. Described in 1824 by Carl Adolph Agardh, its name honors the French botanist Jean-Baptiste Mougeot.
Fritschiella aquatilis is a species of freshwater green alga in the family Chaetophoraceae. It features a unique globular, hairy morphology. It was discovered in the city of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, China, and can be found in freshwater aquariums with ornamental fish. The species exhibits some differences from the closely related Fritschiella tuberosa, which is primarily found in soil environments. Molecular phylogenetic data has supported the classification of F. aquatilis as a new species within the genus Fritschiella.
Placolecis kunmingensis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Catillariaceae. It is found in Yunnan, China. The lichen is characterised by a thallus that is areolate to squamulose in its centre, forming irregular patches or clumps 10–50 mm wide, as well as its ellipsoid or spherical ascospores with slightly thickened wall.
Hildenbrandia rivularis is a species of freshwater red algae. It forms red, crusty thalli on stones submerged in water, typically in streams and rivers, less commonly in lakes and brackish parts of seas. It occurs in scattered locations on almost all continents. The species was formerly considered an indicator of clean or slightly polluted waters. The scientific genus name is sometimes spelled in various orthographic variants, especially as Hildenbrandtia. The life cycle of this species was described by the Polish hydrobiologist Karol Starmach.
Batrachospermum is a genus of red algae from the family Batrachospermaceae. Due to its complex biological life cycle, descriptions of the taxon typically focus on gametophytes, while sporophytes, i.e., carposporophytes, are filamentous structures growing on the gametophyte, on which they depend. Independently living sporophytes have sometimes been described as separate species within the genus Chantransia. Additionally, differences may occur in the descriptions of the genus due to variations in taxonomic approaches, as new taxonomic techniques, as with other algae, result in changes in the assignment of individual species to the genus Batrachospermum. The genus is cosmopolitan, and its representatives are found in freshwater environments, mainly rivers, and less frequently in standing waters. These plants have thalli in the form of gelatinous-coated filaments.
