Ploeotila T.Mrozinska-Webb, 1973

Holotype species: Ploeotila ramosa T.Mrozinska-Webb

Original publication: Mrozinska-Webb, T. (1973 '1972'). Ploeotila ramosa, a new genus and a new species of the family Gloeococcaceae Ettl 1964. Nova Hedwigia 23(4): 645-654.

Description: Thalli highly colonial, forming macroscopic, amorphous green to yellow-green masses attached to substrata. Cells single or in pairs, located at apex of single or branched, anastomosing and lamellated, mucilaginous columns. Cells spherical, subspherical to oval 11-20 x 8-16 &m, with distinct polarity; two contractile vacuoles at the apical end. Cells uninucleate without stigma; chloroplast single and parietal with many lobes and single pyrenoid in the thick part of the chloroplast; older cells chloroplast indistinct or irregular because hidden by numerous oil droplets. Asexual division of vegetative cell into two non-motile hemiautospores leading to growth of the colony or 8-64 biflagellate zoospores 6-9 x 3-5 &m; spores released in common vesicle by rupture of parental cell wall and dispersed in mass. Akinetes with thickened cell walls and conspicuous reserve materials, formed in aggregates. Sexual reproduction isogamous with ovoid to ellipsoid gametes 9-12 x 7-9 &m, with flagella arising from apical papilla and with stigma. Gametangia similar to vegetative cells, dividing into 4, rarely 8 gametes. Gametes loose flagella and fuse by means of a process from the side or base of the cell that grows toward adjacent gamete. After touching second gamete, process enlarges and protoplast flows through canal to effect fusion. Site of meiosis in life history unknown. Ploeotila subaerial or in freshwater growing attached to the moss, Fontinalis antipyretica; reported only from a single site in Poland. Genus most similar to Asterococcus or Hormotilopsis.

Information contributed by: D. Garbary & A. Couté. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2023-07-02 by Luka Sato.

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

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=47387

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
Luka Sato in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 02 July 2023. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 27 April 2024