Polyedriopsis Schmidle, 1899

Holotype species: Polyedriopsis spinulosa (Schmidle) Schmidle

Original publication and holotype designation: Schmidle, W. (1899). Algologische Notizen. XIII. Allgemeine botanische Zeitschrift für Systematik, Floristik, Pflanzengeographie 5: 39-41.

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Description: Unicellular algae with tetrahedral to polyhedral cells 12-25 &m diameter, with concave sides and clusters of spines radiating from truncately rounded corners. Spines 25-50 &m long, mostly in clusters of 3-5, gradually tapering from base to apex and mostly with hollow bases. Cell walls smooth. Cells uninucleate; chloroplast cup-shaped and parietal with prominent pyrenoid Asexual reproduction by biflagellate zoospores; 4-8 per sporangium; released in a common membrane through tear in sporangial wall. Zoospores ovate with stigma, the latter not persisting in vegetative phase. Spines develop after cell wall formed. Sexual reproduction unknown. Polyedriopsis planktonic and rare in freshwater lakes and ponds; reported mostly from Europe and North America, but with additional reports from Asia and Australia. Cellulosic cell wall also with outer 20 nm layer of sporopollenin. Spines taper results from shorter length of peripheral microfibrils, these crosslinked in regular pattern. Spines similar to Scenedesmus in ultrastructure. P. spinulosa previously assigned to Tetraedron by some authors. P. bitridens transferred to Polyedriopsis from Tetraedron by Kovacik (1975), however, Komárek and Fott (1983) consider this a possible species of Chlorotetraedron. An additional species identified as P. quadrispina now placed in Treubaria.

Information contributed by: D. Garbary. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2014-11-18 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 feminine.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: John, D.M. & Tsarenko, P.M. (2002). Order Chlorococcales. In: The Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles. An identification guide to freshwater and terrestrial algae. (John, D.M., Whitton, B.A. & Brook, A.J. Eds), pp. 327-409. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=43444

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 18 November 2014. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 28 November 2024