Acrochaetium Nägeli in Nägeli & Cramer, 1858: 532, footnote

Classification:
Empire Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Rhodophyta
Subphylum Eurhodophytina
Class Florideophyceae
Subclass Nemaliophycidae
Order Acrochaetiales
Family Acrochaetiaceae

Lectotype species: Acrochaetium secundatum (Lyngbye) Nägeli

Original publication:Nägeli, C. & Cramer, C. (1858). Die Stärkekörner: Morphologische, physiologische, chemisch-physicalische und systematisch-botanische Monographie. Pflanzenphysiologische Untersuchungen. 2. Heft. pp. [i]-x, [1]-623, pls XI-XXVI. Zürich: bei Fredrich Schultness.
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Type designated inWoelkerling, W.J. (1983). The Audouinella (Acrochaetium-Rhodochorton) complex (Rhodophyta): present perspectives. Phycologia 22: 59-92, 22 figs, 10 tables.

Taxonomic status: currently recognized as a distinct genus.

Taxonomic notes
Harper & Saunders (2002) circumscribed this genus for marine species with monosporangia and stellate chloroplasts. - (5 Oct 2010) - M.D. Guiry

Description: Plants uniseriate filamentous, ecorticate, in general of small dimensions, rarely over 5 mm high. Cells with a single centrally located stellate chloroplast and a central pyrenoid, rarely more than one. Species with known life history with markedly heteromorphic generations; gametophytes with unicellular base and 1-6 erect axes, tetrasporophytes with a septately germinated spore and a multicellular filamentous base producing few to many upright axes. Branching of erect axes in both generations irregular, secund or opposite; unicellular hairs sometimes present. Sexual plants monoecious or dioecious. Spermatangia in small clusters. Carpogonia sessile or pedicellate, distinct carpogonial filament absent. Development of carposporophyte direct. Fertilized carpogonium dividing transversely, sometimes remaining undivided. Carposporophytes small, globose, producing few to several terminal carpospores; sterile involucre absent. Tetrasporangia formed in terminal or lateral positions on erect axes and laterals; sporangia cruciately divided. Asexual reproduction by means of monosporangia occurring in both generations, in many species the only form of propagation known. Emended by J.T. Harper & G.W. Saunders (2002: 470). Now comprises marine spp. [Audouinella comprises freshwater spp.]

Comments: Worldwide, almost exclusively marine, most diversified in temperate areas, especially the North Atlantic. Plants often epiphytic on other algae or marine angiosperms, sometimes epizoic, semi-endophytic or semi-endozoic. See Harper & Saunders (2002: 470).

Numbers of names and species: There are 334 species (and infraspecific) names in the database at present, of which 190 have been flagged as currently accepted taxonomically.

Names: ('C' indicates a name that is currently accepted taxonomically; 'S' a homotypic or heterotypic synonym; 'U' indicates a name of uncertain taxonomic status, but which has been subjected to some verification nomenclaturally; 'P' indicates a preliminary AlgaeBase entry that has not been subjected to any kind of verification. For more information on a species click on it to activate a link to the Species database):

References
Harper, J.T. & Saunders, G.W. (2002). A re-classification of the Acrochaetiales based on molecular and morphological data, and establishment of the Colaconematales, ord. nov.. British Phycological Journal 37: 463-475.

Wynne, M.J. & Schneider, C.W. (2010). Addendum to the synoptic review of red algal genera. Botanica Marina 53: 291-299.

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: http://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=32945

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 23 May 2013.

Algaebase taxon LSID: urn:lsid:algaebase.org:taxname:8294