''Dictyochloris'' 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 ...
in the class
Chlorophyceae
The Chlorophyceae, also known as chlorophycean algae, are one of the classes of green algae, within the phylum Chlorophyta. They are a large assemblage of mostly freshwater and terrestrial organisms; many members are important primary producers i ...
. It is the sole genus of the family Dictyochloridaceae. It is commonly found in terrestrial and subaerial habitats.
[
The genus ''Dictyochloris'' was first described by ]Wilhelm Vischer
Wilhelm Eduard Vischer (30 April 1895 in Davos – 27 November 1988 in Montpellier) was a Swiss pastor, theologian, Hebraist, Old Testament scholar and amateur Lied lyricist. One of his major areas of study was that of Christ in the Old Testa ...
in 1945.[ Later, it was re-investigated by ]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 ...
in 1955. It is not to be confused with ''Dictyochloris'' , which is an later (and thus illegitimate
Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce.
Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...
) homonym because it was described after Vischer used the name ''Dictyochloris''. Because it is illegitimate, that genus was renamed to '' Dictyochlorella''.[
]
Etymology
The scientific name ''Dictyochloris'' has roots in the Greek language
Greek (, ; , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language, constituting an independent Hellenic languages, Hellenic branch within the Indo-European language family. It is native to Greece, Cyprus, Italy (in Calabria and Salento), south ...
. The prefix “dictyo” is derived from the Greek word “δίκτυο” or “díktyo” meaning “network”, which is in reference to the net-like 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 ...
present in this 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 ...
. The medial “-chloro-” is from “χλωρός” or “chloros” meaning “the colour green” because of the green pigment
A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...
, chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words (, "pale green") and (, "leaf"). Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb energy ...
, which colors the algae.
Description
''Dictyochloris'' consists of solitary, spherical cells surrounded by a thin cell wall. Cells are coenocytic
A coenocyte () is a multinucleate cell which can result from multiple nuclear divisions without their accompanying cytokinesis, in contrast to a syncytium, which results from cellular aggregation followed by dissolution of the cell membranes i ...
, i.e. have multiple nuclei. 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 net-like, parietal when young, developing into an irregular three-dimensional network. Chloroplasts lack 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 or