''Klebsormidium'' is a genus of filamentous
charophyte
Charophyta () is a paraphyletic group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged deep within Charophyta, possibly from terres ...
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 ...
comprising 20 species.
The name was proposed in 1972 to resolve confusion in application and status of ''Hormidium''
and was given for the German botanist
Georg Albrecht Klebs.
The algae occurs mostly in soil and on moist substrates, nevertheless, aquatic and one marine species are also known. Many ''Klebsormidium''-species are able to synthesize substances for UV protection, the so-called mycosporine-like amino acids. The draft genome sequence of ''Klebsormidium nitens'' NIES-2285 (called ''K. flaccidum'' at the time of publication) was published in 2014.
Description
''Klebsormidium'' forms uniseriate (one cell thick), unbranched filaments. Cells are cylindrical or barrel-shaped. The
cell wall
A cell wall is a structural layer that surrounds some Cell type, cell types, found immediately outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. Primarily, it provides the cell with structural support, shape, protection, ...
may be thin or thickened, and is sometimes made of H-shaped pieces. Each cell contains a single 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 ...
which encircles around 40 to 70% of the cell wall, usually with a single
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 ...
.
''Klebsormidium'' reproduces asexually but not sexually. It produces
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
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 released from cells through a pore. It can also produce