Rhizoclonium Kützing, 1843
Lectotype species: Rhizoclonium juergensii (Mertens) Kützing
Currently accepted name for the type species: Rhizoclonium tortuosum (Dillwyn) Kützing
Original publication: Kützing, F.T. (1843). Phycologia generalis oder Anatomie, Physiologie und Systemkunde der Tange. Mit 80 farbig gedruckten Tafeln, gezeichnet und gravirt vom Verfasser. pp. [part 1]: [i]-xxxii, [1]-142, [part 2:] 143-458, 1, err.], pls 1-80. Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus.
Request PDFType designated in: Koster, J.T. (1955). The genus Rhizoclonium Kütz. in the Netherlands. Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli 27: 335-357, 5 figs.
Description: Filaments slender, 60 um in diamter, loose lying with basal cells, or attached by holdfast with basal lobes. Plants unbranched or with one- to few-celled rhizoidal laterals. Cells several to many times longer than broad. Nuclei numerous. Chloroplast reticulate, parietal, with pyrenoids, often densely packed with starch. Reproduction in freshwater species by fragmentation and, more rarely biflagellate zoospores. In marine/brackish species, isomorphic life history with quadriflagellate zoospores and biflagellate gametes reported from 2 species.
Information contributed by: T.J. Entwisle. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2011-08-29 by M.D. Guiry.
Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.
Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Brodie, J., Maggs, C.A. & John, D.M. (2007). Green seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. pp. [i-v], vi-xii, 1-242, 101 figs. London: British Phycological Society.
Comments: Rhizoclonium cosmopolitan in fresh, brackish and marine waters, often growing entagled with other algae, or in salt marshes forming a dense mat. Sexual reproduction of R. riparium rare under estuaring conditions, biflagellate zoospores more commonly produced in populations growing on hard rather than soft substrata. Cytological studies indicate a wide range of chromosomes from n=10 to n=30, counts varying between different populations of the same species. Rhizoclonium is not always clearly delimited from Chaetomorpha.
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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera,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=32845
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 29 August 2011. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 16 April 2024
