Characiopodium

''Characiopodium'' 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 ...

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 ...

in the family

Sphaeropleaceae Sphaeropleaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales. The Sphaeropleaceae consists of solitary cells or filaments of cells. They are coenocytic, and reproduce asexually via zoospores or sexually via anisogamy or oogamy. The ...

. It occurs in soils. ''Characiopodium'' consists of cells that are attached to a substrate; the cell body is ellipsoidal, spindle-shaped, or cylindrical, with an adhesive disc. The

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle, organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant cell, plant and algae, algal cells. Chloroplasts have a high concentration of chlorophyll pigments which captur ...

is typically cup- or band-shaped, sometimes stellate and branched; chloroplasts bear one or rarely several

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. ''Characiopodium'' reproduces asexually via

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 with two flagella, more rarely with

aplanospore {{Short pages monitor