Chlorophycées

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

Pediastrum granulatum.

Portrait of Lobomonas stellata (Chodat), a volvocid flagellate. The ellipsoid to pear-shaped protoplast is separated from the cell wall by a space containing gelatinous material. The cell wall has irregularly spaced conical protrusions. There is one large cup-shaped chloroplast. A pyrenoid is located posteriorly. A peripheral stigma is located in the anterior 1/3 of the cell. Two equal flagella are about the length of the cell body. From freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Phase contrast.

Portrait of Lobomonas stellata (Chodat), a volvocid flagellate. The ellipsoid to pear-shaped protoplast is separated from the cell wall by a space containing gelatinous material. The cell wall has irregularly spaced conical protrusions. There is one large cup-shaped chloroplast. A pyrenoid is located posteriorly. A peripheral stigma is located in the anterior 1/3 of the cell. Two equal flagella are about the length of the cell body. From freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.DIC.

Tetraspora (tet-ra-spore-a), a volvocalean green alga in which the cells are located within a mucus matrix. Like Chlamydomonas, there are two apical flagella inserting into an ovate cell, anterior contractile vacuoles, and there is a single large cup-shaped chloroplast. Phase contrast.

Portrait of a zoospore (motile reproductive cell capable of transformation into another developmental stage but incapable of sexual fusion) of the filamentous green alga, Oedogonium. The ovoid to elongate zoospore bears a wreath of flagella around an anterior hyaline dome. Reproduction in Oedogonium may be asexual, by means of large flagellated zoospores (motile reproductive cells capable of transformation into another developmental stage but incapable of sexual fusion) or oögamous with fertilization of oögonia by antherozoids (motile male gametes structurally similar to zoospore but smaller). Release of zoospores is followed by a short swarming phase that ends by the zoospore coming to rest with its flagellated hyaline dome at the substratum, shedding its flagella and then forming a holdfast. A new filament then forms by repeated intercalary and distal terminal cell divisions. The zoospores of algae may be confused zoochlorellae bearing ciliates (e.g. Cyclotrichium viride) but are distinguished by the absence of other somatic cilia or somatic kinetosomes. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho in October 2003. DIC optics.

Chlamydomonas (clam-ee-doe-moan-ass) a common volvocid (green alga) flagellate. Cells vary in shape from elongate to rounded, this being one of the more elongate cells. With a cell wall, a cup-shaped chloroplasts with chlorophyll B, a red eyespot located external to the plastid, and two equal flagella emerging from the anterior pole of the cell. Differential interference contrast. Animations by Rosemary Arbur of flagellar beat patterns are available here. Material from Nymph Creek and Nymph Lake, thermal sites within Yellowstone Park, photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Chlamydomonas (clam-ee-dough-moan-ass) a common volvocid (green alga) flagellate. Cells vary in shape from elongate to rounded, this being one of the more elongate cells. With a cell wall, a cup-shaped chloroplasts with chlorophyll B, a red eyespot located external to the plastid, and two equal flagella emerging from the anterior pole of the cell. These cells undergo a form of sexual reproduction referred to as conjugation in which two similar to near similar cells fuse and exchange genetic information. Animations by Rosemary Arbur of flagellar beat patterns are available here. Differential interference contrast. Material from Nymph Creek and Nymph Lake, thermal sites within Yellowstone National Park, photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Portrait of Vitreochlamys fluviatilis, formerly Sphaerellopsis fluviatilis. The genus name, Sphaerellopsis (Korchikoff, 1925) was preoccupied by an Ascomycete fungus. This fungus Sphaerellopsis filum (Cooke, 1883) is a hyperparasite of another fungus, willow rust (Melampsora). Batko renamed this volvocid flagellate genus Vitreochlamys. This genus is similar to Chlamydomonas (some consider it synonymous) but differs from it by having a protoplast and surrounding gelatinous sheath that are fusiform. There are two equal length flagella. The nucleus is central. There is a large cup-shaped chloroplast and a posterior pyrenoid. Two anterior contractile vacuoles are located near the flagellar bases. There is a small anterior stigma. From a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Oblique illumination. 

Portrait (lateral view) of the chaetophoralean alga, Aphanochaete repens (Braun, 1849). A. repens is epiphytic on filamentous algae (in this case Oedegonium). The cells are cylindrical to cuboid, some bearing one long clear seta with a bulbous base. The cells arrange themselves in files with short branches along the long axis of their host algal filament. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho June 2004. DIC optics.

In vivo portrait of the volvocid flagellate,  Volvulina steinii Playfair,1915. Collected from a temporary rainwater puddle on a grass lawn in Boise, Idaho 43°36'49.03" N 116° 13' 23.77" W elev. 2674 ft.March 2006.Brightfield.

Portartit of the volvocid flagellate, Volvulina steinii Playfair,1915. The cells are hemispherical with the flattened face of each toward the exterior in contact with the thin investing gelatinous envelope.The inner limit of the envelope is visible here. the thickness of the investing layer of the gelatinous envelope is indicated here by debris adhering to its exterior surface.Each of the 16 cells in the colony bears two equal-length flagella (seen here in the cell at 12 o'clock). Only cells at the "anterior" end of the colony have eyespots. each cell has two contractile vacuoles (seen here in the cell at 12 o'clock.Collected from a temporary rainwater puddle on a grass lawn in Boise, Idaho  In vivo portrait of the volvocid flagellate,   43°36'49.03" N 116° 13' 23.77" W elev. 2674 ft. elev. 2674 ft.  March 2006.  DIC.

Colony in interlaced sheaths of mucilage. Scale bar indicates 25 µm.  Sample from sphagnum pond situated in the northern alpine region of Austria near Salzburg. Images were taken using Zeiss Universal with Olympus C7070 CCD camera.

Colony of green algae in thick mucilaginous envelope. Scale bar indicates 25 µm.  Sample from sphagnum pond situated in the northern alpine region of Austria near Salzburg. Images were taken using Zeiss Universal with Olympus C7070 CCD camera.

Portrait of the chlorellacean Tetraedron minimum var. minimum (A. Braun) Hansgirg. DIC. 

Portrait of the chlorellacean Tetraedron minimum var. minimum (A. Braun) Hansgirg. DIC .

Vanserum, Öland, Sverige

Vanserum, Öland, Sverige

Fusola viridis; Oocystia borgei; Chordatella citriformis; Pleurococcus regularis Artari.

Melgar de Tera, Castille and Leon, Spain

Malgrat de Mar, Catalonia, Spain

Ribadelago, Castille and Leon, Spain

Villoslada de Cameros, La Rioja, Spain