Home / Charophyceae / Unicells / Desmids / Placoderm / Actinotaenium
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Name derivation:
Classification:
Actinotaenium (Nägeli) Teiling 1954. 50 of 162 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013). Order Desmidiales; Family Desmidiaceae
Morphology:
Unicellular desmid 22-195 µm long, with slightly incut isthmus. Straight or slightly curved with rounded to truncate end walls. One axial ribbon-like chloroplast with up to 12 pyrenoids in a row.
Similar genera:
Staurastrum is similar, but has two or more "arms" (with cytoplasm extending to the terminus of each arm) instead of spines.
Habitat:
Planktonic in freshwater acidic and oligotrophic lakes.
References:
Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 22 May 2013. Teiling, E. 1954. Actinotaenium, genus Desmidiacearum resuscitatum. Botanisk Notiser 4: 376-426.