Sphaerellocystis Ettl, 1960

Holotype species: Sphaerellocystis ellipsoidea Ettl

Original publication and holotype designation: Ettl, H. (1960). Die Algenflora des Schönhengstes und seiner Umgebung. I. Nova Hedwigia 2: 509-544.

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Description: Solitary cells appearing colonial prior to spore release with cells embedded in mucilaginous envelope. Envelope without internal structure, colorless or yellowish when young, later often incorporating iron or manganese and becoming yellow to dark brown and forming a rigid hull with roughened surface. Protoplasts spherical to ellipsoid 6-20 x 3-12 µm. Cell wall thin and smooth. Cells uninucleate with two apical contractile vacuoles; single chloroplast parietal and cup shaped or axial and stellate; pyrenoid present or absent, when present with conspicuous starch sheath and either central or basal or lateral in cell; stigma mostly absent in vegetative cells. Asexual reproduction by hemiautospores or biflagellate zoospores; 2-4 (-rarely 8) zoospores per sporangium. Zoospores with stigma released by fragmentation or tearing of envelope hull. Sexual reproduction unknown.

Information contributed by: D.J.Garbary, A. Couté & M.D. Guiry. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2012-09-25 by M.D. Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Comments: Sphaerellocystis is planktonic in variety of freshwater habitats including bogs, ponds and marshes; reported only from Europe with many species known solely from Czechoslovakia. Species distinguished based on details of cell and chloroplast morphology, color and pyrenoid position. Variation in chloroplast structure and presence/absence of pyrenoids may provide the basis for revision of generic concepts. Ettl & Gärtner (1988) refer Sphaerellocycstis ampla to Chlamydocapsa.

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=47182

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 25 September 2012. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 27 April 2024