Anabaena Bory ex Bornet & Flahault, 1886, nom. cons.

Holotype species: Anabaena oscillarioides Bory ex Bornet & Flahault

Original publication and holotype designation: Bornet, É. & Flahault, C. (1886 '1888'). Revision des Nostocacées hétérocystées contenues dans les principaux herbiers de France (quatrième et dernier fragment). Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, Septième Série 7: 177-262.

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Description: Filamentous; filaments solitary or in free clusters (subg. Dolichospermum) or in macroscopic mats on the substrate (subg. Anabaena), usually with coiled and tangled, sometimes up to screw-like coiled, rarely with more or less parallel oriented trichomes, along the length of the same width or slightly narrowed to the ends, with more or less deep constrictions at cross walls, always without firm sheaths, but sometimes with mucilaginous, hyaline, colourless, often diffluent envelopes; trichomes uniserial, often moniliform, isopolar, always metameric (heterocytes develop solitary and intercalary in more or less certain distances one from another; in one developed trichome always 3-9, rarely more, heterocytes). Cells cylindrical, barrel-shaped or spherical, shorter up to longer than wide, pale or bright blue-green or olive-green, containing aerotopes (subg. Dolichospermum) or without aerotopes, but sometimes with granular content (subg. Anabaena); terminal cells sometimes slightly elongated, conical, conical rounded or spherical, not vacuolized. Heterocytes spherical, widely oval or cylindrical, sometimes elongated, usually slightly greater than vegetative cells. Akinetes spherical, oval or cylindrical, solitary or several in a row, intercalary, developing always paraheterocytic, close to heterocytes from both sides, or slightly distant from them.

Cells divide cross-wise and grow to the original size before the next division; without meristematic zones. Reproduction by trichome fragmentation (usually at heterocytes) and by akinetes.

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: Planktonic species, sometimes forming water blooms (mainly from the subg. Dolichospermum) or in mats covering different substrates, water plants, submersed woods, stones etc. Several species grow benthic or in soils, several are known from salinic (brackish) biotopes. Many species have limited geographic areas of distribution. Several species benthic or in soils, several are known from saline (brackish) habitats. Many species have limited geographic areas of distribution, but this genus is widespread and common.

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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=43086

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 28 March 2024

 
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