''Dicranochaete'' 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 order

Chaetopeltidales Chaetopeltidales are an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae. In comparison to other chlorophycean orders, the order is species-poor and was circumscribed relatively recently, in 1994; the key ultrastructural features include having ...

. It is the only genus in the family Dicranochaetaceae. It is a rare genus, found as an epiphyte on aquatic plants and algae in freshwater habitats. One species is terrestrial, having been described from the soil of a

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...

forest. ''Dicranochaete'' consists of single cells or a few cells clustered together, attached to a substrate. Cells are hemispherical or ellipsoidal in side view. The apical portion of the cells are covered by a hood-like structure, which may be spiny, and has one or more bristles, also termed setae. The seta is hollow and dichotomously branched. Each cell has a cup-shaped, parietal

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 ...

with or without pyrenoids. Usually two

contractile vacuole A contractile vacuole (CV) is a sub-cellular structure (organelle) involved in osmoregulation. It is found predominantly in protists, including unicellular algae. It was previously known as pulsatile or pulsating vacuole. Overview The contrac ...

s are present in the basal part of the cell. Asexual reproduction occurs by the formation of biflagellate

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; sexual reproduction is by biflagellate gametes, which fuse to form a quadriflagellate zygote. Species are distinguished from each other based on the morphology of the cap-like structure, and the number of bristles. Other morphological characters such as the size and shape of the cells are variable and less reliable for identification. ''Dicranochaete'' typically occurs in acidic, oligotrophic waters such as

peat bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muske ...

s, often those covered with ''

Sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

'' moss. It has evolved several traits that are adaptive to living in these low-nutrient environments, such as the presence of long setae to increase surface area for nutrient absorption, and the presence of a spiny cap for protection.

References

Chaetophorales genera Chaetopeltidales Freshwater algae {{green algae-stub