| Microspora | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A,Microspora amœna (Kütz.)Lagerh. B and C, ?M. abbreviata (Rabenh.) Lagerh.; B, vegetative filament; C, filament withaplanospores (a). D,M. pachyderma (Wille) Lagerh. E, single vegetative cell ofM. amœna var. crassiorHansg., showing the reticulatedchloroplast. The indistinct blur in the centre of the cell indicates the position of thenucleus. F, fragment of filament ofM. amœna with aplanospore (a). | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Chlorophyceae |
| Order: | Sphaeropleales |
| Family: | Microsporaceae |
| Genus: | Microspora Thuret, 1850 |
| Type species | |
| Microspora floccosa (Vaucher) Thuret[1] | |
| Species | |
Microspora is agenus ofgreen algae in the familyMicrosporaceae.[2]Microspora was first named byGustave Thuret in 1850. The name was used byArthur Hill Hassall earlier in 1843, for another genus, but Thuret's genus has beenconserved over Hassall's.[1]
Microspora is afreshwater alga, found in still or flowing water. It is most common in the colder months of the year. One species,Microspora ficulinae, is anendosymbiont within marinesponges. It has acosmopolitan distribution.[3]
Microspora consists of uniseriate, unbranched filaments. Cells are cylindrical, quadrate or slightly swollen. Thecell wall consists of two overlapping, "H-shaped" halves, often visible at the end of filaments where cells have broken off. The cell contains a single, parietalchloroplast which is perforated to form a fine or coarse net; the chloroplast has nopyrenoids.[4]
Reproduction occurs asexually and sexually, via biflagellate zoospores or isogametes.[4] Aplanospores and akinetes have also been observed.[4]
Species ofMicrospora have traditionally been distinguished based on vegetative characters, such as the width of the filaments. However, these characters are known to be unreliable.[4]
Inphylogenetic analyses,Microspora forms a clade withFlintia (formerlyParalella), but the exact placement withinChlorophyceae is somewhat equivocal. Notype material exists forMicrospora.[5]
 | ThisChlorophyceae-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |