Scenedesmaceae is a family 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 ...
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 plankton
Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphe ...
. ''Scenedesmus'' algae are commonly found in freshwater
plankton
Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...
. The former family Coelastraceae is considered a synonym of Scenedesmaceae.
The family has existed since at least the
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
period, as evidenced by
amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...
deposits from France containing the genus ''
Enallax''.
Description
Algae in the family Scenedesmaceae consist of
coenobia with flat or curved shapes, or sometimes three-dimensional clusters.
Genera
Genera in this family include:
* ''
Acutodesmus''
* ''
Asterarcys''
* ''
Astrocladium''
* ''
Chodatodesmus''
* ''
Closteriococcus''
* ''
Coelastrella''
* ''
Coelastropsis''
* ''
Coelastrum
''Coelastrum'' is a genus of green algae in the Scenedesmaceae family. It is a common component of the phytoplankton in freshwater habitats such as ponds, lakes, waterfalls, and temporary pools of water, particularly eutrophic ones. The genus ha ...
''
* ''
Comasiella''
* ''
Crucigeniopsis''
* ''
Danubia''
* ''
Desmodesmus''
* ''
Dimorphococcus''
* ''
Enallax''
* ''
Flechtneria''
* ''
Gilbertsmithia''
* ''
Hariotina''
* ''
Hofmania''
* ''
Hylodesmus''
* ''
Komarekia''
* ''
Lauterborniella''
* ''
Neodesmus''
* ''
Pectinodesmus''
* ''
Pseudodidymocystis''
* ''
Pseudotetrastrum''
* ''
Scenedesmus
''Scenedesmus'' is a genus of green algae, in the class Chlorophyceae. They are colonial and non-motile. They are one of the most common components of phytoplankton in freshwater habitats worldwide.
Taxonomy
The starting point of ''Scenedesmus'' ...
''
* ''
Schistochilium''
* ''
Schmidledesmus''
* ''
Schroederiella''
* ''
Scotiellopsis''
* ''
Soropediastrum''
* ''
Staurogenia''
* ''
Steinedesmus''
* ''
Tetradesmus''
* ''
Tetrallantos''
* ''
Tetranephris''
* ''
Tetrastrum''
* ''
Truncatulus''
* ''
Verrucodesmus''
* ''
Westella''
* ''
Westellopsis''
* ''
Willea''
* ''
Yadavaea''
References
Chlorophyceae families
Sphaeropleales
{{Chlorophyceae-stub