Tussetia Pascher, 1927: 394
Classification:
Empire Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Chlorophyta
Class Chlorophyceae
Order Chlamydomonadales
Family Chlamydomonadaceae
Holotype species: Tussetia polytomoides Pascher
Original publication and holotype designation:Pascher, A. (1927). Volvocales = Phytomonadinae. In: Die Süsswasser-Flora Deutschlands, Österreichs und der Schweiz. Heft. 4. (Pascher, A. Eds), pp. 20-505. Jena:
Taxonomic status: currently recognized as a distinct genus.
Description: Unicellular thalli ovate but tapering strongly at the apex. Two isokont flagella inserted at the apex. Protoplast is colorless (lacking photosynthetic pigment) but does exhibit yellow to orange-red oil droplets. Pyrenoid absent. Two apical contractile vacuoles normally present. Papillum and stigma present or absent depending on the species. Asexual reproduction by zoosporogenesis resulting in four motile daughter cells. Plane of cell division is longitudinal. No other asexual stages have been reported. Sexual reproduction is anisogamous in T. polytomoides resulting in spherical zygotes which have been reported to exhibit a fine surface architecture. Unicellular thalli ovate but tapering strongly at the apex. Two isokont flagella inserted at the apex. Protoplast is colorless (lacking photosynthetic pigment) but does exhibit yellow to orange-red oil droplets. Pyrenoid absent. Two apical contractile vacuoles normally present. Papillum and stigma present or absent depending on the species. Asexual reproduction by zoosporogenesis resulting in four motile daughter cells. Plane of cell division is longitudinal. No other asexual stages have been reported. Sexual reproduction is anisogamous in T. polytomoides resulting in spherical zygotes which have been reported to exhibit a fine surface architecture.
Comments: Tussetia strongly resembles Polytoma save for the oil droplets and longitudinal cell division. Tussetia has been found in soil and stagnant water. The genus is known from Europe and India. No biochemical or molecular data are available for this organism
NCBI Nucleotide Sequences
Numbers of names and species: There are 2 species (and infraspecific) names in the database at present, of which 2 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):
Tussetia elaiogenetes Moewus C
Tussetia polytomoides Pascher C - type
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=47180
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 20 May 2013.
Algaebase taxon LSID: urn:lsid:algaebase.org:taxname:5588
