Gloeotrichia J.Agardh ex Bornet & Flahault, 1886

Holotype species: Gloeotrichia pisum Thuret ex Bornet & Flahault

Original publication and holotype designation: Bornet, E. & Flahault, C. (1886 '1887'). Revision des Nostocacées hétérocystées contenues dans les principaux herbiers de France (deuxième fragment). Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, Septième Série 4: 343-373.

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Description: Filamentous-colonial; trichomes heteropolar with basal heterocytes and apical hair-like ends with own sheaths, united radially into gelatinous, hemispherical or spherical colonies, which are microscopic up to several cm in diam., olive-green, yellow-green, brown or dark blue-blackish. The whole colony enveloped by a fine or firm slime; trichomes always oriented with heterocytes into the center of the colony. Trichomes rarely false branched (during trichome division), the branches separate soon from the mother trichome, but remain parallel and radially located within the colonial slime and form their own gelatinous sheaths. Colonies are joined to the substrate or free floating. Trichomes uniseriate, rarely with intercalary heterocytes (developing before or during trichome dissociation), constricted or unconstricted at the crosswalls, more or less straight or coiled. Sheaths are always present, but sometimes gelatinize within the mucilage of colonies, especially near apical parts of trichomes (near the margin of a colony). Upon the basal heterocytes oval or cylindrical akinetes develop (solitary or in rows) at the end of the vegetation periods. The cells in several species (particularly in hormogonia) contain aerotopes (planktonic species). Cell division perpendicular to the long axis of a trichome, usually in meristematic zones. Reproduction by dissociation of trichomes within colonies and, particularly, by hormogonia, differentiating after the separation of the apical hair by help of necridic cells, and sometimes liberating from old colonies. Division of colonies. Two species are euplanktonic, few species develop periphytically on aquatic plants and on submerged stones and wood, but later sometimes liberate from the substrate and flow on the surface. Several species live in the detritus (metaphyton) in swamps and reservoirs with abundant aquatic vegetation. The majority of species have limited areas of distribution (tropic, nordic, etc.). All species are freshwater, only the planktonic G. echinulata grows in both fresh and in brackish water of the temperate zone (e.g. in Baltic Sea).

Information contributed by: J. Komárek. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2023-03-06 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: Strunecký, O., Ivanova, A.P. & Mares, J. (2022 '2023'). An updated classification of cyanobacterial orders and families based on phylogenomic and polyphasic analysis (Review). Journal of Phycology 59(1): 12-51.

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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=43613

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 06 March 2023. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 28 March 2024

 
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