Tolypothrix Kützing ex Bornet & Flahault, 1886
Lectotype species: Tolypothrix distorta Kützing ex Bornet & Flahault
Original publication: 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 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 heteropolar, united in fasciculate, caespitose colonies, or (later) clusters or wooly mats, with basal parts with heterocytes and free apical ends, commonly falsely branched, usually with solitary lateral branches (rarely with geminate branches - mainly in cultures); branches initiate usually at originally intercalary heterocytes (which are often unipored), long, waved, diverging from the main filaments or for a short distance joined to the main filament and later diverging. Sheaths thin or thick, joined to the trichome, sometimes lamellated, colorless or yellow-brown, open at the apex. Trichomes and branches uniseriate, with one or several basal heterocytes (from which the basal one is usually unipored), cylindrical, not attenuated at the end, constricted or unconstricted at the crosswalls. Cells cylindrical to barrel-shaped, isodiametric or slightly longer or shorter than wide, without aerotopes, sometimes with several granules, blue-green, olive-green, greyish or reddish, end cells slightly narrowed or widened and rounded, sometimes to spherical, always without calyptra, sometimes vacuolized. Akinetes known only rarely in few species. Cells divide crosswise to the trichome axis, with subterminal meristematic zones. Reproduction by hormogonia, which separate at both ends, but after heterocyte formation (usually in pairs) change in heteropolar growth.
Information contributed by: J. Komárek & M.D. Guiry. 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: Mainly submersed, growing in littoral of unpolluted reservoirs on stones or among other algae and aquatic plants, in springs, mineral springs, streams, pools, etc.; several species are ecologically limited (they grow only in moors, alkaline swamps, in limestone areas, etc.). Many species are known only from tropical biotopes, however, they need mostly taxonomic revisions. Several species are described from aerophytic habitats (wet sandy soils, bark of trees, wet stones, calcareous or sandstone walls, etc.).
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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=43599
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 18 April 2024
