Pithophoraceae 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

Cladophorales Cladophorales are an order of green algae, in the class Ulvophyceae. The earliest known representative is ''Proterocladus antiquus'' from the Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic boundary in North China. The order Cladophorales consists of filamentou ...

. The Pithophoraceae consist of filamentous algae. Although there are no clear unifying features, there are morphological characters shared by many of the genera: the presence of secondary

rhizoid Rhizoids are protuberances that extend from the lower epidermal cells of bryophytes and algae. They are similar in structure and function to the root hairs of vascular land plants. Similar structures are formed by some fungi. Rhizoids may be un ...

s, lateral branches inserted subterminally, and a tendency for heterotrichous organization (i.e., the division of the thallus into a two parts, a prostrate and an erect system of filaments). In most genera, the thalli are attached to the subtrate, except for '' Pithophora''. Members of this family are found in freshwater, brackish or terrestrial habitats, where they grow on substrates such as moist mud, limestone or rocks. Some grow on the shells of turtles or snails. These habitats often have fluctuating environmental conditions and reduced competition. A hypothesis of the

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...

relationships between taxa are as follows (not all genera are included due to lack of molecular data):

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q19760024 Ulvophyceae families

See also

References