Botrydium Wallroth, 1815

Holotype species: Botrydium argillaceum Wallroth

Original publication and holotype designation: Wallroth, K.F.G. (1815). Annus botanicus, sive supplementum tertium ad Curti Sprengelii floram halensem. pp. [i]-xxx, [1]-194, pls I-VI. Halae [Halle]: sumptibus Car. Aug. Kümmelii.

Request PDF

Description: Globose aerial portion, 1-2 mm in diam., subtended by colorless rhizoidal siphons which penetrate soil. Outer wall of aerial structure toughened, thin peripheral layer of cytoplasm with many nuclei and discoid chloroplasts. Rhizoidal siphons little or profusely branched, without chloroplasts but with many nuclei. Asexual reproduction by cell contents cleaving into uni- or multinucleate protoplasts, rounding up and secreting wall to form aplanospores, or entire cytoplasm forming a single-walled cyst. Hypnospores formed by any portion of cell separated by wall. In sexual reproduction entire cell can divide to form many (? about 40,000) heterokont-flagellated, pyriform zooids which fuse isogamously or anisogamously to form zygotes. Zooid also can develop parthenogenetically without fusing. The zygote develops directly into vegetative thallus. Botrydium is common and widespread, terrestrial on muddy banks of streams and ponds or on bare soil. Usually abundant and hiding underlying soil. Frequently encrusted with calcium carbonate.

Information contributed by: T. J. Entwisle. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2021-10-07 by M.D. Guiry.

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

Gender: This genus name is currently treated as neuter.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Kawai, H. & Nakayama, T. (2015). Introduction (Heterokontobionta p.p.), Cryptophyta, Dinophyta, Haptophyta, Heterokontophyta (except Coscinodiscophyceae, Mediophyceae, Fragilariophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Phaeophyceae, Eustigmatophyceae), Chlorarachniophyta, Euglenophyta. In: Syllabus of plant families. Adolf Engler's Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien. Ed. 13. Phototrophic eukaryotic Algae. Glaucocystophyta, Cryptophyta, Dinophyta/Dinozoa, Haptophyta, Heterokontophyta/Ochrophyta, Chlorarachnniophyta/Cercozoa, Chlorophyta, Streptophyta p.p. (Frey, W. Eds), pp. 11-64, 103-139. Stuttgart: Borntraeger Science Publishers.

Verification of Data
Users are responsible for verifying the accuracy of information before use, as noted on the website Content page.

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=43813

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 07 October 2021. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 22 November 2024