Pseudocharacium Korshikov, 1953: 168
Classification:
Empire Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Chlorophyta
Class Ulvophyceae
Order Ulvophyceae incertae sedis
Family Ulvophyceae familia incertae sedis
Holotype species: Pseudocharacium acuminatum Korshikov
Original publication and holotype designation:Korshikov, O. (1953). Viznachnik prisnovodnihk vodorostey Ukrainsykoi RSR [Vyp] V. Pidklas Protokokovi (Protococcineae). Bakuol'ni (Vacuolales) ta Protokokovi (Protococcales) [The Freshwater Algae of the Ukrainian SSR. V. Sub-Class Protococcineae. Vacuolales and Protococcales]. pp. 1-439. Kyjv [Kiev]: Akad. Nauk URSR.
Taxonomic status: currently recognized as a distinct genus.
Description: Solitary cells attached to substratum by mucilaginous pad or distinct stipe. Cells oval to elliptical or spindle shaped, sometimes slightly bent or asymmetric. At upper end, cells with acute process (P. acuminatum), a specialized ring structure (P. obtusum) or broadly rounded with short, blunt process (P. americanum). Cells 15-80 x 7-60, with smooth cell walls, becoming quite thick in mature vegetative cells and sporangia. Cells uninucleate when young, becoming multinucleate prior to zoospore formation; parietal chloroplast single and band shaped; pyrenoid usually single but becoming multiple in P. obtusum. Asexual reproduction by quadriflagellate zoospores; 16 or more per sporangium and released through tear in lateral wall. Zoospores 7-9.5 µm long, naked, with anterior contractile vacuoles, single parietal chloroplast with stigma and pyrenoid. Zoospores attach by anterior end. Sexual reproduction unknown, however, see comments of Bourrelly (1972) regarding Craniocystis Korshikov. Pseudocharacium epiphytic on freshwater algae and macrophytes; reported from Europe, Africa and North America. Genus not distinguished from Characium by some authors; primary difference the quadriflagellate zoospores of Pseudocharacium. Species distinguished based on cell wall morphology at upper end of cell.
NCBI Nucleotide Sequences
Numbers of names and species: There are 3 species (and infraspecific) names in the database at present, of which 3 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):
Pseudocharacium acuminatum Korshikov C - type
Pseudocharacium americanum K.W.Lee & Bold C
Pseudocharacium obtusum (A.Braun) Petry-Hesse C
References
Watanabe, S. & Nakayama, T. (2007). Ultrastructure and phylogenetic relationships of the unicellular green algae Ignatius tetrasporus and Pseudocharacium americanum (Chlorophyta). Phycological Research : 1-16.
Cambra Sánchez, J., Álvarez Cobelas, M. & Aboal Sanjurjo, M. (1998). Lista florística y bibliográfica de los clorófitos (Chlorophyta) de la Península Ibérica, Islas Baleares e Islas Canarias. pp. 1-614. Burgos: Asociación Española de Limnología.
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=44266
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
Michael 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 22 May 2013.
Algaebase taxon LSID: urn:lsid:algaebase.org:taxname:89584
