Colony

Description:

Portrait of the filamentous green alga, Chaetophora elegans (Roth; Agardh, 1812). Globular or lobulated colonies are embedded in a gelatinous matrix. The branching filaments terminate in tapered tips or long thin multicellular hair-like projections seen on the left in this image. The cells are cylindrical, containing a single parietal chloroplast and one to several pyrenoids. Branch filaments and axial filaments are similar in appearance. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho October 2004. DIC.