Chara gracilis J.E.Smith 1810
Current name:
Nitella gracilis (J.E.Smith) C.Agardh
Another copy of pl. 2140 from Smith's English Botany, less coloured - 30 April 2020. Out of copyright
Publication Details
Chara gracilis J.E.Smith 1810: pl. 2140
Published in: Smith, J.E. (1809-1810). English botany; or, coloured figures of British plants, with their essential characters, synonyms, and places of growth. To which will be added, occasional remarks. / By James Edward Smith, M.D. F.R.S. member of the Imp. Acad. Naturae Curiosorum, the Academies of Stockholm, Upsal, Turin, Lisbon, Lund, Berlin, Philadelphia and the Nat. Hist. Societies of Paris and Moscow; President of the Linnæan Society. The figures by James Sowerby, F.L.S. Vol. XXX [30] pp. [1, 3, 5, indexes], [1-2, corr. text for earlier plates], pls. 2089-2160. London: printed by R. Taylor and Co., Shoe-Lane, Fleet-Street; and sold by the proprietor, J. Sowerby, at No. 2, Mead Place, Lambth; by Messrs. White and Co., Fleet-Street; Johnson, St. Paul's Church yard; Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, [...].
Original description: 
Type Species
The type species (lectotype) of the genus Chara is Chara vulgaris Linnaeus.
Status of Name
This name is currently regarded as a synonym of Nitella gracilis (J.E.Smith) C.Agardh.
Source of Synonymy
Agardh, C.A. (1824). Systema algarum. pp. [i]-xxxvii, [1]-312. Lundae [Lund]: Literis Berlingianis [Berling].
Type Information
Type locality: "GATHERED Sept. 4 , 1809, in a boggy pool in St. Leonard's forest, Sussex, [England] by Mr. W . Borrer. We have the same,
(found by M. Du Cros), from Switzerland, and we are persuaded the above synonyms belong to it, though in the Fl. Brit., they are referred to C. vulgaris, t. 336, in its unincrusted state, we having at that time not investigated the plant here delineated."; (Smith 1809-1810: pl. 2140) Lectotype (St. Leonard's forest, Sussex; designated by Korsh in Arbeitsgruppe Armleuchteralgen Deutschland 2015: 435): Mr W. Borrer; Sept 4, 1809; boggy pool; BM; (Arbeitsgruppe Armleuchteralgen Deutschland 2015: 435)
Origin of Species Name
Adjective (Latin), thin, slender (Stearn 1983).
General Environment
This is a freshwater species.
Created: 14 May 2002 by M.D. Guiry.
Last updated: 20 January 2025
Verification of Data
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Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=52868
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 20 January 2025. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 12 April 2025
