Overview
Chlorophyta, a division of ,3] includes about 7000 species[4][1] of mostly aquatic photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. Like the land plants (bryophytes and tracheophytes), green algae contain chlorophylls a and b, and store food as starch[4] in their plastids. They are related to the Charophyta and Embryophyta (land plants), together making up the Viridiplantae.
The division contains both unicellular and multicellular species. While most species live in freshwater habitats and a large number in marine habitats, other species are adapted to a wide range of environments. Watermelon snow, or Chlamydomonas nivalis, of the class Chlorophyceae, lives on summer alpine snowfields. Others live attached to rocks or woody parts of trees. Some lichens are symbiotic relationships with fungi and a green alga. Members of the Chlorophyta also form symbiotic relationships with protozoa, sponges and cnidarians. Some are flagellated and these have an advantage of motility. Some conduct sexual reproduction which is oogamy or isogamy.
Classes
- Class Bryopsidophyceae Bessey
- Class Chlorophyceae Wille
- Class Pedinophyceae Moestrup
- Class Pleurastrophyceae Mattox & K. D. Stewart
- Class Prasinophyceae T. A. Chr. ex Ø. Moestrup & J. Throndsen
- Class Trebouxiophyceae T. Friedl
- Class Ulvophyceae K. R. Mattox & K. D. Stewart
- Class Caryopoceae Jerry
Classification according to Hoek, Mann and Jahns 1995.[4]
- Prasinophyceae
- Chlorophyceae
- Ulvophyceae
- Cladophorophyceae
- Bryopsipophycese
- Dasycladophyceae
- Trentepoliophyceae
- Pleurastrophyceae (Pleurastrales and Prasiolales)
- Klebsormidiophyceae
- Zygnematophyceae
- Charophyceae
Classification according to Bold and Wynne (Introduction to the Algae, Second Edition, Prentice Hall NJ)
- Volvocales
- Tetrasporales
- Chlorococcales
- Chlorosarcinales
- Ulotrichales
- Sphaeropleales
- Chaetophorales
- Trentepohliales
- Oedogoniales
- Ulvales
- Cladophorales
- Acrosiphoniales
- Caulerpales
- Siphonocladales
- Dasycladales
Photos
Taxonomy
The Phylum Chlorophyta is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Subphylum (2): Chlorophytina · Phragmophytina
- Infraphylum (3): Charophytae · Prasinophytae · Tetraphytae
- Class (11): Bryopsidophyceae · Charophyceae · Chlorophyceae · Micromonadophyceae · Not Assigned · Pedinophyceae · Pleurastrophyceae · Prasinophyceae · Trebouxiophyceae · Ulvophyceae · Zygnematophyceae
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 14,097 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in the Phylum Chlorophyta.
Classes
Bryopsidophyceae
In , the Bryopsidophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta. [more]
Charophyceae
Charophyceae is a of green algae whose exact rank is the matter of some current debate. Some botanists recommend expanding the existing plant kingdom to include charophyceans and chlorophytes while others consider Charophyceae to be a class within either the divisions Chlorophyta, Streptophytina, or Streptophyta. Other systematists classify Charophyceae as a class under division Charophyta, with Chlorophyta remaining a distinct division. [more]
Chlorophyceae
The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of , distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. For example the chlorophycean CW clade, and chlorophycean DO clade, are defined by the arrangement of their flagella. Members of the CW clade have flagella that are displaced in a "clockwise" (CW, 1–7 o'clock) direction eg. Chlamydomonadales. Members of the DO clade have flagella that are "directly opposed" (DO, 12–6 o'clock) eg. Sphaeropleales. [more]
Micromonadophyceae
Not Assigned
Pedinophyceae
In , the Pedinophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta. [more]
Pleurastrophyceae
In , the Pleurastrophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta. [more]
Prasinophyceae
In , Prasinophytes are a class of primitive eukaryotic, marine green algae. Its best known genus is Ostreococcus, which is considered to be the smallest (ca. 0.95 µm) free-living eukaryote and which has been detected in marine samples around the world. Prasinophytes are thought to have low cellular complexity i.e. they are naked cells that possess single, multiple or no flagellae and contain only a single chloroplast and a single mitochondrion. They also have very small genomes for a eukaryote (about 12Mbp). [more]
Trebouxiophyceae
In , the Trebouxiophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta. [more]
Ulvophyceae
The Ulvophyceae or Ulvophytes are class of , distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. The sea lettuce, Ulva, belongs here. Other well-known members include Ulothrix and Acetabularia. The Ulvophytes are diverse in their morphology and their habitat. Most are seaweeds such as those listed above. Others, such as Cladophora, Rhizoclonium and Pithophora live in fresh water and in some areas are considered weeds. [more]
Zygnematophyceae
At least 2,949 species and subspecies belong to the Class Zygnematophyceae.
More info about the Class Zygnematophyceae may be found here.
References
- ^ Pascher A (1914). "Über Flagellaten und Algen". Berichte der deutsche botanischen Gesellschaft 32: 136–160.
- ^ Adl SM, Simpson AGB, Farmer MA, Andersen RA, Anderson OR, Barta JR, Bowser SS, Brugerolle G, Fensome RA, Fredericq S, James TY, Karpov S, Kugrens P, Krug J, Lane CE, Lewis LA, Lodge J, Lynn DH, Mann DG, McCourt RM, Mendoza L, Moestrup Ø, Mozley-Standridge SE, Nerad TA, Shearer CA, Smirnov AV, Speigel FW, Taylor MFJR (2005). "The new higher level classification of eukaryotes with emphasis on the taxonomy of protists". Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 52: 399–451. doi:
- ^ a b Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. (2007). "Phylum: Chlorophyta taxonomy browser". AlgaeBase version 4.2 World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved on 2007-09-23.
- ^ a b c Hoek, C. van den, Mann, D.G. and Jahns, H.M. 1995. Algae An Introduction to Phycology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0 521 30419 9
Sources
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