''Bracteacoccus'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
green algae
The green algae (: green alga) are a group of chlorophyll-containing autotrophic eukaryotes consisting of the phylum Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister group that contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants ...
, the sole genus of the family Bracteacoccaceae.
It is a terrestrial alga commonly found in soils, from the tropics to the poles.
History
''Bracteacoccus'' was described by E. Tereg in 1922, based on the species ''Bracteacoccus aggregatus''.
[ The name comes from the Latin term ''bractea'', meaning a thin metal plate, and Greek ''kokkos'', meaning berry.]Richard C. Starr Richard Cawthorn Starr (August 24, 1924 – February 3, 1998) was an American phycologist.
Awards
Richard C. Starr was the inaugural recipient of the Darbaker Prize from the Botanical Society of America in 1955
and the recipient of the Gilbert ...
reestablished the genus.[
]
Description
''Bracteacoccus'' consists of solitary, typically spherical cells from 4 to 110 μm in diameter.[ Mature cells have multiple nuclei (i.e. are multinucleate). Each cell has multiple chloroplasts lining the outer wall of the cell; each chloroplast is angular in shape and lacks ]pyrenoid
Pyrenoids are sub-cellular phase-separated micro-compartments found in chloroplasts of many algae,Giordano, M., Beardall, J., & Raven, J. A. (2005). CO2 concentrating mechanisms in algae: mechanisms, environmental modulation, and evolution. ''An ...
s.zoospore
A zoospore is a motile asexual spore that uses a flagellum for locomotion in aqueous or moist environments. Also called a swarm spore, these spores are created by some protists, bacteria, and fungi to propagate themselves. Certain zoospores are ...
s. The zoospores have two flagella
A flagellum (; : flagella) (Latin for 'whip' or 'scourge') is a hair-like appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, from fungal spores ( zoospores), and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many pr ...
which are slightly unequal in length. ''Bracteacoccus'' may also reproduce by producing non-motile