Spirulina Turpin ex Gomont, 1892
Lectotype species: Spirulina major Kützing ex Gomont
Original publication: Gomont, M. (1892 '1893'). Monographie des Oscillariées (Nostocacées Homocystées). Deuxième partie. - Lyngbyées. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, Série 7 16: 91-264, pls 1-7.
Request PDFType designated in: Geitler, L. (1942). Schizophyta: Klasse Schizophyceae. In: Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, Sweite Auflage. (Engler, A. & Prantl, K. Eds) Vol.1b, pp. 1-232. Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann.
Description: Filamentous; filaments unbranched, always without sheaths, rarely solitary (free floating), usually in clusters or in fine mats which are to macroscopically visible and covering the substrate, regularly screw-like coiled along the whole trichome length, with unchanged width of screws (very rarely is the spiral form eliminated); screws are very tight, touching one to another or with small spaces between them, trichomes:spirals width ratio being (2)-2.5-(4). Trichomes isopolar, 0.5-3(6?) _m wide, uniseriate, composed of cylindrical cells, unconstricted at the crosswalls which are usually not visible in the light microscope, not attenuated towards the ends, intensely motile (rotation). Cells without aerotopes and prominent granules, more or less isodiametric, less (?) or longer than wide, usually with homogeneous content, pale blue-green, olive-green or pinkish, with changeable PC:PE ratio, with asymmetrically localized thylakoids near the "outer" walls, with special perforation of the side walls (see Guglielmi and Cohen-Bazire 1982 compared to all species); end cells widely rounded, without thickened cell walls or calyptras. Heterocytes and akinetes absent. Cell division crosswise, perpendicular to the long axis of a trichome, daughter cells grow Å to the original size before the next division. All cells capable of division. Reproduction by fragmentation of trichomes into motile hormogonia without necridic cells. Several species are benthic or grow in metaphyton of freshwater biotopes, usually in not heavy artificially polluted waters, in detritus among water plants. Several species prefer thermal and mineral springs, "Sulphuretum" -communities, or halophilic biotopes (marine coastal and brackish waters).
Information contributed by: J. Komárek. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2023-03-03 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=43080
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 03 March 2023. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 16 April 2024
