Microchaete Thuret ex Bornet & Flahault, 1886, nom. cons.
Holotype species: Microchaete grisea Thuret ex Bornet & Flahault
Original publication and holotype designation: Bornet, É. & Flahault, C. (1886 '1887'). Revision des Nostocacées hétérocystées contenues dans les principaux herbiers de France (Troisième fragment). Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, Septième série 5: 51-129.
Request PDFDescription: Filaments solitary or in small groups, attached to or creeping on the substrate, heteropolar, with basal heterocytes and free apical ends more or less cylindrical along the whole length. Sheaths distinct, firm, thin or thick, sometimes slightly lamellated, usually colorless, open at the apex. Whole trichomes cylindrical or slightly attenuated towards the ends (different subgenera ?), constricted or not constricted at the crosswalls, in the apical part sometimes with meristematic zones (shorter cells and deeper constrictions). Cells isodiametric, shorter or longer than wide, cylindrical or rarely barrel-shaped; apical cells always rounded. Heterocytes basal, hemispherical, spherical or slightly elongated and rounded; not frequently also intercalary, cylindrical; rarely false branching at heterocytes. Facultatively develop akinetes, solitary or in rows, near the bases. Reproduction by hormogonia, which separate from trichomes in apical parts. Hormogonia develop heteropolar or firstly isopolar with two central heterocytes, which shift later into the basal position. Most species grow epiphytic on algae and submersed plants in moors, swamps and ponds, few species are epilithic in streams or in littoral of lakes.
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.
Comments: A few species are known from algae in marine littoral, several taxa occur only in geographically limited areas (tropical regions). One strain is used as an important experimental model organism under the name "Fremyella diplosiphon" (probably able to chromatic adaptation).
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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=43085
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 26 April 2024
