Mischococcus Nägeli, 1849
Holotype species: Mischococcus confervicola Nägeli
Original publication and holotype designation: Nägeli, C. (1849). Gattungen einzelliger Algen, physiologisch und systematisch bearbeitet. Neue Denkschriften der Allg. Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für die Gesammten Naturwissenschaften 10(7): i-viii, 1-139, pls I-VIII.
Request PDFDescription: Colonial, dendroid, attached organisms with dichotomous or tetrachotomous branching, with cells in twos or fours at the apices of mucilaginous branches. Young unicellular specimens with mucilaginous discoid base which serves as an attachment point for support. When spores liberated the internal potion of the mother cell wall gelatinizes and elongates, becoming up to six times as long as wide, thus providing a cylindrical support or foot. The empty cell wall of the mother cell always becomes the base of the foot. Cells spherical to ellipsoidal with a thin or thick cell wall, sometimes very glossy or brown from impregnation with iron salts. Chloroplasts single or many, discoid, parietal, sometimes with different shapes in the same cell. Pyrenoids observed only using transmission electron microscopy. Asexual reproduction by zoosporulation or autosporulation. Zoospores (2-16 formed per cell) with two unequal flagella, one to many chloroplasts and with or without stigma. Autospores (2 to 16 formed per cell) adhere to the upper edge of the mucilaginous foot. Successive cell divisions repeat the process and produce a dendroid colony. Sexual reproduction by isogamy reported. Mischococcus lives as an epiphyte on filamentous algae in small freshwater ponds or pools; known from central Asia or central Europe. Species distinguished based on morphology and dimensions of the cells, chloroplast number and number of zoospores produced (from 2 to 16).
Information contributed by: H. R. Preisig & I. M. Franceschini. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2021-10-04 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 masculine.
Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Kawai, H. & Nakayama, T. (2015). Introduction (Heterokontobionta p.p.), Cryptophyta, Dinophyta, Haptophyta, Heterokontophyta (except Coscinodiscophyceae, Mediophyceae, Fragilariophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Phaeophyceae, Eustigmatophyceae), Chlorarachniophyta, Euglenophyta. In: Syllabus of plant families. Adolf Engler's Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien. Ed. 13. Phototrophic eukaryotic Algae. Glaucocystophyta, Cryptophyta, Dinophyta/Dinozoa, Haptophyta, Heterokontophyta/Ochrophyta, Chlorarachnniophyta/Cercozoa, Chlorophyta, Streptophyta p.p. (Frey, W. Eds), pp. 11-64, 103-139. Stuttgart: Borntraeger Science Publishers.
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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=44175
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 04 October 2021. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 03 May 2024
