Sphaerocystis R.Chodat, 1897

Holotype species: Sphaerocystis schroeteri Chodat

Original publication and holotype designation: Chodat, R. (1897). Algues pélagiques nouvelles. Bulletin de l'Herbier Boissier 5: 119-120.

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Description: Spherical colonies to more than 1 mm diameter, with 4-32 (-64) cells embedded in extensive mucilage. Cells spherical, 4-16 &m diameter, clustered in mucilage in groups of four or more or less dispersed. Cells with smooth cell walls. Cells uninucleate; chloroplast single and parietal with single pyrenoid.Asexual reproduction mostly by autospores, 2, 4, or 8 per sporangium and released by fragmentation of sporangial wall. Cell wall fragments not remaining distinct but becoming dissolved in colonial mucilage. Zoospores with two apical flagella and cup-shaped chloroplast with pyrenoid. Sphaerocystis planktonic in freshwater; reported from Europe, North America and South Africa. Genus of uncertain affinities, variously placed by recent authors in Hormotilaceae, Radiococcaceae and Palmellaceae. S. signiensis, S. bilobata, S. polycocca, S. sphaerocystiformis and S. bavarica reassigned to Coenochloris, Coenocococcus or Planctococcus by various authors.

Information contributed by: D. Garbary. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2012-07-02 by Michael Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Tsarenko, P.M. (2011). Chlorococcales. In: Algae of Ukraine: diversity, nomenclature, taxonomy, ecology and geography. Volume 3: Chlorophyta. (Tsarenko, P.M., Wasser, S.P. & Nevo, E. Eds), pp. 232-264. Ruggell: A.R.A. Gantner Verlag K.-G..

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Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in CD format. These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above. The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.

Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=43456

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
Michael Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 02 July 2012. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 23 November 2024