Chlorophyta
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Chlorophyta
OR:
Chlorophyta on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a
taxon In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular n ...
of
green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga ...
informally called chlorophytes. The name is used in two very different senses, so care is needed to determine the use by a particular author. In older classification systems, it refers to a highly
paraphyletic In taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In ...
group of ''all'' the green algae within the green plants (
Viridiplantae Viridiplantae (literally "green plants") are a clade of eukaryotic organisms that comprise approximately 450,000–500,000 species and play important roles in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are made up of the green algae, which ar ...
) and thus includes about 7,000
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
of mostly aquatic
photosynthetic Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in ...
eukaryotic Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacte ...
organisms. In newer classifications, it refers to the sister clade of the
streptophyte Streptophyta (), informally the streptophytes (, from the Greek ''strepto'' 'twisted', for the morphology of the sperm of some members), is a clade of plants. The composition of the clade varies considerably between authors, but the definition e ...
s/
charophytes Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly from terres ...
. The clade Streptophyta consists of the
Charophyta Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly from terre ...
in which the
Embryophyta The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as siste ...
(land plants) emerged. In this latter sense the Chlorophyta includes only about 4,300 species. About 90% of all known species live in freshwater. Like the
land plants The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as siste ...
(
embryophytes The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as siste ...
:
bryophyte The Bryophyta s.l. are a proposed taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants (embryophytes): the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. Bryophyta s.s. consists of the mosses only. They are characteristically limited in s ...
s and
tracheophytes Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They a ...
), green algae (chlorophytes and charophytes besides embryophytes) contain chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b and store food as
starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human die ...
in their plastids. With the exception of Palmophyllophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae,
Ulvophyceae The Ulvophyceae or ulvophytes are a class of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology, life cycle and molecular phylogenetic data.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cumming ...
and
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
, which show various degrees of multicellularity, all the Chlorophyta lineages are unicellular. Some members of the group form
symbiotic Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or para ...
relationships with
protozoa Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histo ...
, sponges, and cnidarians. Others form symbiotic relationships with fungi to form
lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.oogamous or isogamous. All members of the clade have motile flagellated swimming cells. While most species live in freshwater habitats and a large number in marine habitats, other species are adapted to a wide range of land environments. For example, ''Chlamydomonas nivalis'', which causes Watermelon snow, lives on summer alpine snowfields. Others, such as '' Trentepohlia'' species, live attached to rocks or woody parts of trees. ''
Monostroma kuroshiense ''Monostroma kuroshiense'', a green alga in the division Chlorophyta, is a green seaweed endemic to Kuroshio Coast of Japan. This high-value seaweed is called Hitoegusa or Hirohano hitoegusa (ヒロハノヒトエグサ) in Japanese. Previously ...
'', an edible green alga cultivated worldwide and most expensive among green algae, belongs to this group.


Ecology

Species of Chlorophyta (treated as what is now considered one of the two main clades of
Viridiplantae Viridiplantae (literally "green plants") are a clade of eukaryotic organisms that comprise approximately 450,000–500,000 species and play important roles in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are made up of the green algae, which ar ...
) are common inhabitants of marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cummings (Pearson), San Francisco, CA Several species have adapted to specialised and extreme environments, such as deserts, arctic environments,
hypersaline A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride, brines, and other salts, with saline levels surpassing that of ocean water (3.5%, i.e. ). Specific microbial species can thrive in hi ...
habitats, marine deep waters, deep-sea
hydrothermal vent A hydrothermal vent is a fissure on the seabed from which geothermally heated water discharges. They are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart at mid-ocean ridges, ocean basins, and hotspo ...
s and habitats that experiences extreme changes in temperature, light and salinity. Some groups, such as the
Trentepohliales Trentepohliales is an order of Ulvophyceaen green algae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NI ...
are exclusively found on land. Several species of Chlorophyta live in
symbiosis Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or para ...
with a diverse range of
eukaryote Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacter ...
s, including
fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately fr ...
(to form
lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.ciliate The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a differen ...
s, forams,
cnidarian Cnidaria () is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic animals found both in freshwater and marine environments, predominantly the latter. Their distinguishing feature is cnidocytes, specialized cells that th ...
s and
mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000  extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is est ...
s. Some species of Chlorophyta are
heterotrophic A heterotroph (; ) is an organism that cannot produce its own food, instead taking nutrition from other sources of organic carbon, mainly plant or animal matter. In the food chain, heterotrophs are primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, but ...
, either free-living or
parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
. Others are mixotrophic bacterivores through
phagocytosis Phagocytosis () is the process by which a cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle (≥ 0.5 μm), giving rise to an internal compartment called the phagosome. It is one type of endocytosis. A cell that performs phagocytosis is ...
. Two common species of the heterotrophic green alga '' Prototheca'' are
pathogenic In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a ger ...
and can cause the disease protothecosis in humans and animals.


Classifications

Characteristics used for the classification of Chlorophyta are: type of zoid,
mitosis In cell biology, mitosis () is a part of the cell cycle in which replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Cell division by mitosis gives rise to genetically identical cells in which the total number of chromosomes is maintai ...
(karyokynesis),
cytokinesis Cytokinesis () is the part of the cell division process during which the cytoplasm of a single eukaryotic cell divides into two daughter cells. Cytoplasmic division begins during or after the late stages of nuclear division in mitosis and mei ...
, organization level, life cycle, type of
gametes A gamete (; , ultimately ) is a haploid cell that fuses with another haploid cell during fertilization in organisms that reproduce sexually. Gametes are an organism's reproductive cells, also referred to as sex cells. In species that produce ...
,
cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mec ...
polysaccharides Polysaccharides (), or polycarbohydrates, are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food. They are long chain polymeric carbohydrates composed of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. This carbohydrate can react with w ...
and more recently genetic data.


Phylogeny

A newer proposed classification follows Leliaert et al. 2011 and modified with Silar 2016, Leliaert 2016 and Lopes dos Santos et al. 2017 for the green algal clades and Novíkov & Barabaš-Krasni 2015 for the land plants clade. Sánchez-Baracaldo et al. is followed for the basal clades. A 2020 paper places the "Prasinodermophyta" (i.e. Prasinodermophyceae + Palmophyllophyceae) as the basal Viridiplantae clade.


Leliaert ''et al''. 2012

Simplified phylogeny of the Chlorophyta, according to Leliaert ''et al''. 2012. Note that many algae previously classified in Chlorophyta are placed here in Streptophyta. *
Viridiplantae Viridiplantae (literally "green plants") are a clade of eukaryotic organisms that comprise approximately 450,000–500,000 species and play important roles in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are made up of the green algae, which ar ...
**Chlorophyta ***core chlorophytes ****
Ulvophyceae The Ulvophyceae or ulvophytes are a class of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology, life cycle and molecular phylogenetic data.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cumming ...
***** Cladophorales ***** Dasycladales ***** Bryopsidales *****
Trentepohliales Trentepohliales is an order of Ulvophyceaen green algae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NI ...
***** Ulvales-
Ulotrichales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group ...
*****
Oltmannsiellopsidales Oltmannsiellopsidales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institu ...
****
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
*****
Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...
*****
Chaetophorales Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae. Families * '' Aphanochaetaceae'' Oltmanns * '' Barrancaceae'' Caisová et al. * ''Chaetophoraceae Chaetophoraceae is a family of green algae in the order Chaetophora ...
*****
Chaetopeltidales Chaetopeltidales are an order of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants ( Embryo ...
***** Chlamydomonadales *****
Sphaeropleales Sphaeropleales is an order of green algae that used to be called Chlorococcales. The order includes some of the most common freshwater planktonic algae such as '' Scenedesmus'' and '' Pediastrum''. The Spaeropleales includes vegetatively non-mot ...
**** Trebouxiophyceae *****
Chlorellales The Chlorellales are an order of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae The Trebouxiophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a taxon of green algae informally called chlorophyt ...
*****
Oocystaceae Oocystaceae is a family of green algae, in the order Chlorellales. The type genus is '' Oocystis''. List of genera , AlgaeBase AlgaeBase is a global species database of information on all groups of algae, both seaweed, marine and freshwate ...
*****
Microthamniales Microthamniaceae is a family of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Inst ...
*****
Trebouxiales The Trebouxiales are an order of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae The Trebouxiophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a taxon of green algae informally called chlorophyt ...
*****'' Prasiola'' clade ****
Chlorodendrophyceae Chlorodendrales are an order of green, flagellated, thecate, unicellular eukaryotes, within the green algae class Chlorodendrophyceae.Becker, B., Marin, B. and Melkonian, M. 1994: Structure, composition, and biogenesis of prasinophyte cell coveri ...
***
prasinophyte The prasinophytes are a group of unicellular green algae. Prasinophytes mainly include marine planktonic species, as well as some freshwater representatives.Sym, S. D. and Pienaar, R. N. 1993. The class Prasinophyceae. In Round, F. E. and Chapm ...
s (paraphyletic) **** Pyramimonadales ****
Mamiellophyceae Mamiellophyceae is a class of green algae in the division Chlorophyta Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a taxon of green algae informally called chlorophytes. The name is used in two very different senses, so care is needed to determine the us ...
****
Pycnococcaceae Pycnococcaceae is a family of green algae in the order Pseudoscourfieldiales. The defining features of this family include the single invagination of the pyrenoid where the mitochondrial membrane fits into it Guillard ''et al.'' 1991 Pycnococcus ...
**** Nephroselmidophyceae ****
Prasinococcales Prasinococcaceae is a family of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants ( Embryoph ...
****
Palmophyllales The Palmophyllales are a deep-branching order of thalloid green alga, possibly forming a sister group to the Chlorophyta. They survive today in deep waters, where predation pressure is reduced. The group contains the genera '' Palmophyllum'', '' ...
**
Streptophyta Streptophyta (), informally the streptophytes (, from the Greek ''strepto'' 'twisted', for the morphology of the sperm of some members), is a clade of plants. The composition of the clade varies considerably between authors, but the definition e ...
***
charophyte Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly from terre ...
s **** Mesostigmatophyceae **** Chlorokybophyceae **** Klebsormidiophyceae ****
Charophyceae Charophyceae is a class of charophyte green algae. AlgaeBase places it in division Charophyta. Extant (living) species are placed in a single order Charales, commonly known as "stoneworts" and "brittleworts". Fossil members of the class may be p ...
**** Zygnematophyceae **** Coleochaetophyceae ***
Embryophyta The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as siste ...
(land plants)


Pombert ''et al''. 2005

A possible classification when Chlorophyta refers to one of the two clades of the Viridiplantae is shown below. * Class Prasinophyceae T. A. Chr. ex Ø. Moestrup & J. Throndsen * Class
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
Wille * Class Trebouxiophyceae T. Friedl * Class
Ulvophyceae The Ulvophyceae or ulvophytes are a class of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology, life cycle and molecular phylogenetic data.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cumming ...


Lewis & McCourt 2004

* Division Chlorophyta (green algae sensu stricto) ** Subdivision Chlorophytina *** Class
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
(chlorophytes) **** Order Chlamydomonadales (+ some Chlorococcales + some Tetrasporales + some Chlorosarcinales) **** Order
Sphaeropleales Sphaeropleales is an order of green algae that used to be called Chlorococcales. The order includes some of the most common freshwater planktonic algae such as '' Scenedesmus'' and '' Pediastrum''. The Spaeropleales includes vegetatively non-mot ...
(sensu Deason, plus ''Bracteacoccus, Schroederia, Scenedesmaceae, Selanastraceae'') **** Order
Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...
**** Order
Chaetopeltidales Chaetopeltidales are an order of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants ( Embryo ...
**** Order
Chaetophorales Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae. Families * '' Aphanochaetaceae'' Oltmanns * '' Barrancaceae'' Caisová et al. * ''Chaetophoraceae Chaetophoraceae is a family of green algae in the order Chaetophora ...
**** Incertae Sedis (''Cylindrocapsa'' clade, ''Mychonastes'' clade) *** Class
Ulvophyceae The Ulvophyceae or ulvophytes are a class of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology, life cycle and molecular phylogenetic data.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cumming ...
(ulvophytes) **** Order
Ulotrichales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group ...
**** Order Ulvales **** Order Siphoncladales/ Cladophorales **** Order Caulerpales **** Order Dasycladales *** Class Trebouxiophyceae (trebouxiophytes) **** Order
Trebouxiales The Trebouxiales are an order of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae The Trebouxiophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a taxon of green algae informally called chlorophyt ...
**** Order
Microthamniales Microthamniaceae is a family of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Inst ...
**** Order Prasiolales **** Order
Chlorellales The Chlorellales are an order of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae The Trebouxiophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a taxon of green algae informally called chlorophyt ...
*** Class Prasinophyceae (prasinophytes) **** Order Pyramimonadales **** Order
Mamiellales Mamiellales are an order of green algae in the class Mamiellophyceae. Their cells and flagella are covered with spiderweb-like scales of several types. Some species lack scales but possess pigments similar to those of the scale-bearing species. ...
**** Order
Pseudoscourfieldiales Pseudoscourfieldiales is an order of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryo ...
**** Order
Chlorodendrales Chlorodendrales are an order of green, flagellated, thecate, unicellular eukaryotes, within the green algae class Chlorodendrophyceae.Becker, B., Marin, B. and Melkonian, M. 1994: Structure, composition, and biogenesis of prasinophyte cell cov ...
**** Incertae sedis (Unnamed clade of coccoid taxa) * Division
Charophyta Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly from terre ...
(charophyte algae and embryophytes) ** Class Mesostigmatophyceae (mesostigmatophytes) ** Class Chlorokybophyceae (chlorokybophytes) ** Class Klebsormidiophyceae (klebsormidiophytes) ** Class Zygnemophyceae (conjugates) *** Order Zygnematales (filamentous conjugates and saccoderm desmids) *** Order Desmidiales (placoderm desmids) ** Class Coleochaetophyceae (coleochaetophytes) *** Order Coleochaetales ** Subdivision Streptophytina *** Class
Charophyceae Charophyceae is a class of charophyte green algae. AlgaeBase places it in division Charophyta. Extant (living) species are placed in a single order Charales, commonly known as "stoneworts" and "brittleworts". Fossil members of the class may be p ...
(reverts to use of GM Smith) **** Order Charales (charophytes sensu stricto) *** Class
Embryophyceae The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as siste ...
(embryophytes)


Hoek, Mann and Jahns 1995

Classification of the Chlorophyta, treated as all green algae, according to Hoek, Mann and Jahns 1995. * Class Prasinophyceae (orders
Mamiellales Mamiellales are an order of green algae in the class Mamiellophyceae. Their cells and flagella are covered with spiderweb-like scales of several types. Some species lack scales but possess pigments similar to those of the scale-bearing species. ...
, Pseudocourfeldiales, Pyramimonadales,
Chlorodendrales Chlorodendrales are an order of green, flagellated, thecate, unicellular eukaryotes, within the green algae class Chlorodendrophyceae.Becker, B., Marin, B. and Melkonian, M. 1994: Structure, composition, and biogenesis of prasinophyte cell cov ...
) * Class
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
(orders Volvocales Tetrasporales.html" ;"title="ncluding the Tetrasporales">ncluding the Tetrasporales Chlorococcales,
Chaetophorales Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae. Families * '' Aphanochaetaceae'' Oltmanns * '' Barrancaceae'' Caisová et al. * ''Chaetophoraceae Chaetophoraceae is a family of green algae in the order Chaetophora ...
,
Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...
) * Class
Ulvophyceae The Ulvophyceae or ulvophytes are a class of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology, life cycle and molecular phylogenetic data.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cumming ...
(orders Codiolales, Ulvales) * Class Cladophorophyceae (order Cladophorales) * Class Bryopsidophyceae (orders Bryopsidales, Halimedales) * Class Dasycladophyceae (order Dasycladales) * Class Trentepohliophyceae (order
Trentepohliales Trentepohliales is an order of Ulvophyceaen green algae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NI ...
) * Class Pleurastrophyceae (order Pleurastrales) * ''
Incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...
'' (order Prasiolales) * Class Klebsormidiophyceae (orders Klebsormidiales, Coleochaetales) * Class Zygnematophyceae (order Zygnematales, Desmidiales) * Class
Charophyceae Charophyceae is a class of charophyte green algae. AlgaeBase places it in division Charophyta. Extant (living) species are placed in a single order Charales, commonly known as "stoneworts" and "brittleworts". Fossil members of the class may be p ...
(order Charales) In a note added in proof, an alternative classification is presented for the algae of the class Chlorophyceae: * Class Chlamydophyceae (orders Volvocales, Chlorococcales,
Chaetophorales Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae. Families * '' Aphanochaetaceae'' Oltmanns * '' Barrancaceae'' Caisová et al. * ''Chaetophoraceae Chaetophoraceae is a family of green algae in the order Chaetophora ...
) * Class Oedogoniophyceae (order
Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...
) * Class
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
(order
Chlorellales The Chlorellales are an order of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae The Trebouxiophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a taxon of green algae informally called chlorophyt ...
)


Bold and Wynne 1985

Classification of the Chlorophyta and Charophyta according to Bold and Wynne 1985. * Chlorophyta,
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
(16 orders) ** Volvocales ** Tetrasporales ** Chlorococcales ** Chlorosarcinales **
Ulotrichales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group ...
**
Sphaeropleales Sphaeropleales is an order of green algae that used to be called Chlorococcales. The order includes some of the most common freshwater planktonic algae such as '' Scenedesmus'' and '' Pediastrum''. The Spaeropleales includes vegetatively non-mot ...
**
Chaetophorales Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae. Families * '' Aphanochaetaceae'' Oltmanns * '' Barrancaceae'' Caisová et al. * ''Chaetophoraceae Chaetophoraceae is a family of green algae in the order Chaetophora ...
**
Trentepohliales Trentepohliales is an order of Ulvophyceaen green algae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NI ...
**
Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...
** Ulvales ** Cladophorales ** Acrosiphoniales ** Caulerpales ** Siphonocladales ** Dasycladales ** Zygnematales *
Charophyta Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly from terre ...
,
Charophyceae Charophyceae is a class of charophyte green algae. AlgaeBase places it in division Charophyta. Extant (living) species are placed in a single order Charales, commonly known as "stoneworts" and "brittleworts". Fossil members of the class may be p ...
(1 order) ** Charales


Mattox & Stewart 1984

Classification of the Chlorophyta according to Mattox & Stewart 1984: * Micromonadophyceae (similar to Prasinophyceae; Tetraselmidiales transferred to Pleurastrophyceae) *
Charophyceae Charophyceae is a class of charophyte green algae. AlgaeBase places it in division Charophyta. Extant (living) species are placed in a single order Charales, commonly known as "stoneworts" and "brittleworts". Fossil members of the class may be p ...
Rabenhorst ** Chlorokybales ** Klebsormidiales ** Zygnematales ** Coleochaetales ** Charales *
Ulvophyceae The Ulvophyceae or ulvophytes are a class of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology, life cycle and molecular phylogenetic data.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cumming ...
* Pleurastrophyceae ** Tetraselmidiales ** Pleurastrales *
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
Wille in Warming ** Chlamydomonadales ** Volvocales ** Chlorococcales **
Sphaeropleales Sphaeropleales is an order of green algae that used to be called Chlorococcales. The order includes some of the most common freshwater planktonic algae such as '' Scenedesmus'' and '' Pediastrum''. The Spaeropleales includes vegetatively non-mot ...
** Chlorosarcinales **
Chaetophorales Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae. Families * '' Aphanochaetaceae'' Oltmanns * '' Barrancaceae'' Caisová et al. * ''Chaetophoraceae Chaetophoraceae is a family of green algae in the order Chaetophora ...
**
Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...


Fott 1971

Classification of the Chlorophyta according to Fott 1971. *Class
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
:*Order Volvocales :*Order Tetrasporales :*Order Chlorococcales :*Order
Ulotrichales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group ...
::*Suborder Chlorosarcineae ::*Suborder Ulotrichineae ::*Suborder Oedogoniineae ::*Suborder Chaetophorineae :*Order Siphonocladales :*Order Bryopsidales *Class Conjugatophyceae *Class
Charophyceae Charophyceae is a class of charophyte green algae. AlgaeBase places it in division Charophyta. Extant (living) species are placed in a single order Charales, commonly known as "stoneworts" and "brittleworts". Fossil members of the class may be p ...


Round 1971

Classification of the Chlorophyta and related algae according to Round 1971. * "
green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga ...
" **
Euglenophyta Euglenids (euglenoids, or euglenophytes, formally Euglenida/Euglenoida, ICZN, or Euglenophyceae, ICBN) are one of the best-known groups of flagellates, which are excavate eukaryotes of the phylum Euglenophyta and their cell structure is typica ...
** Prasinophyta **
Charophyta Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly from terre ...
** Chlorophyta *** Zygnemaphyceae (= Conjugatophyceae; orders Mesotaeniales, Zygnematales, Gonatozygales, Desmidiales) *** Oedogoniophyceae (order
Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...
) *** Bryopsidophyceae **** Hemisiphoniidae (orders Cladophorales,
Sphaeropleales Sphaeropleales is an order of green algae that used to be called Chlorococcales. The order includes some of the most common freshwater planktonic algae such as '' Scenedesmus'' and '' Pediastrum''. The Spaeropleales includes vegetatively non-mot ...
, Acrosiphoniales **** Cystosiphoniidae (orders Dasycladales, Siphonocladales, Chlorochytriales) **** Eusiphoniidae (orders Derbesiales, Codiales, Caulerpales, Dichotomosiphonales, Phyllosiphonales) ***
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
**** orders Chlamydomonadales, Volvocales, Polyblepharidales, Tetrasporales,
Chlorodendrales Chlorodendrales are an order of green, flagellated, thecate, unicellular eukaryotes, within the green algae class Chlorodendrophyceae.Becker, B., Marin, B. and Melkonian, M. 1994: Structure, composition, and biogenesis of prasinophyte cell cov ...
, Chlorosarcinales, Chlorococcales **** orders
Ulotrichales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group ...
, Codiolales, Ulvales, Prasiolales, Cylindrocapsales, Microsporales **** orders
Chaetophorales Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae. Families * '' Aphanochaetaceae'' Oltmanns * '' Barrancaceae'' Caisová et al. * ''Chaetophoraceae Chaetophoraceae is a family of green algae in the order Chaetophora ...
, Coleochaetales,
Trentepohliales Trentepohliales is an order of Ulvophyceaen green algae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NI ...
, Pleurococcales, Ulvellales


Smith 1938

Classification of the Chlorophyta according to Smith 1938: *Class 1.
Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, ...
::*Order 1. Volvocales ::::*Family 1. Chlamydomonadaceae ::::*Family 2. Volvocaceae ::*Order 2. Tetrasporales ::*Order 3.
Ulotrichales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group ...
::::*Family 1.
Ulotrichaceae Ulotrichaceae is a family of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) ...
::::*Family 2. Microsporaceae ::::*Family 3. Cylindrocapsaceae ::::*Family 4. Chaetophoraceae ::::*Family 5. Protococcaceae ::::*Family 6. Coleochaetaceae ::::*Family 7.
Trentepohliaceae Trentepohliaceae are a family of green algae in the order Trentepohliales.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Instit ...
::*Order 4. Ulvales ::::*Family 1.
Ulvaceae Ulvaceae () is a widely distributed family of thin green algae having either a flat or a hollow tubular thallus, reproducing by the conjugation of planogametes or of zoospores, and being classed among the Ulotrichales or now more commonly plac ...
::::*Family 2 Schizomeridaceae ::*Order 5. Schizogoniales ::::*Family Schizogoniaceae ::*Order 6. Cladophorales ::::*Family 1.
Cladophoraceae Cladophoraceae are a family of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryoph ...
::::*Family 2.
Sphaeropleaceae Sphaeropleaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales Sphaeropleales is an order of green algae that used to be called Chlorococcales. The order includes some of the most common freshwater planktonic algae such as '' Scenedes ...
::*Order 7.
Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...
::::*Family
Oedogoniaceae The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numerous ...
::*Order 8. Zygnematales ::::*Family 1.
Zygnemataceae The Zygnemataceae are a family of filamentous or unicellular, uniseriate (unbranched) green algae. The filaments are septated and reproduction is by conjugation; ''Spirogyra'' is commonly used in schools to demonstrate this kind of reproduction ...
::::*Family 2.
Mesotaeniaceae The Mesotaeniaceae are a small family of unicellular green algae known as the "saccoderm desmids". The Mesotaeniaceae appear to be sister or ancestral to the Zygnemataceae. The desmids are a deep branching group of Zygnemataceae. ''Spirotaenia' ...
::::*Family 3. Desmidiaceae ::*Order 9. Chlorococcales ::::*Family 1. Chlorococcaceae ::::*Family 2. Endosphaeraceae ::::*Family 3. Characiaceae ::::*Family 4. Protosiphonaceae ::::*Family 5. Hydrodictyaceae ::::*Family 6. Oöcystaceae ::::*Family 7.
Scenedesmaceae Scenedesmaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales. ''Scenedesmus'' algae are commonly found in freshwater plankton. The former family Coelastraceae is considered a synonym of Scenedesmaceae. Genera Genera in this famil ...
::*Order 10. Siphonales ::::*Family 1. Bryopsidaceae ::::*Family 2.
Caulerpaceae Caulerpaceae is a family of green algae in the order Bryopsidales Bryopsidales is an order of green algae, in the class Ulvophyceae. Characteristics The thallus is filamentous and much branched and may be packed into a mass. It is coenocyti ...
::::*Family 3. Halicystaceae ::::*Family 4. Codiaceae ::::*Family 5. Derbesiaceae ::::*Family 6. Vaucheriaceae ::::*Family 7. Phyllosiphonaceae ::*Order 11. Siphonocladiales ::::*Family 1. Valoniaceae ::::*Family 2. Dasycladaceae *Class 2.
Charophyceae Charophyceae is a class of charophyte green algae. AlgaeBase places it in division Charophyta. Extant (living) species are placed in a single order Charales, commonly known as "stoneworts" and "brittleworts". Fossil members of the class may be p ...
::*Order Charales ::::*Family
Characeae Characeae is a family of freshwater green algae in the order Charales, commonly known as stoneworts. They are also known as brittleworts or skunkweed, from the fragility of their lime-encrusted stems, and from the foul odor these produce when step ...


Research and discoveries

In February 2020, the fossilized remains of green algae, named ''Proterocladus antiquus'' were discovered in the northern province of
Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmo ...
, China. At around a billion years old, it is believed to be one of the oldest examples of a multicellular chlorophyte.


References


Further reading

* * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q264543 Plant divisions Taxa named by Ludwig Reichenbach