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Name derivation:
From the Greek batrachos, frog, and sperma, seed. Refers to its macroscopic resemblance to a mass of frog eggs.
Classification:
Batrachospermum Roth 1797; 110 of 316 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013). Order Batrachospermales; Family Batrachospermaceae Similar genera not separated from Batrachospermum in PhycoKey: Nothocladus Skuja 1934 Sirodotia Kylin 1912 Tuomeya Harvey 1858
Morphology:
Mucilaginous thallus is uniaxial and branched. Determinate lateral branches occur in whorls around a central axis, and rise from the apical regions of a group of 4-6 periaxial cells between the whorls. Branch cells have an unusual tear-drop shape with the narrow end pointing toward the main axis of the thallus.
Similar genera:
Habitat:
Batrachospermum can be found in cold lakes, streams, and bogs around the world (Graham and Wilcox 2000). Widespread in North America is B. gelatinosum, as far north as the tundra. The species has a wide environmental tolerance to light, current velocity, specific conductance, pH and temperature. B. keratophytum is found in acidic bogs (Wehr and Sheath 2002).
References:
Graham, L. and L. Wilcox 2000. Algae. Prentice-Hall Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National Unive3rsity of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 19 April 2013. Harvey, W.H. 1858. Nereis boreali-americana...Part III. Chlorospermeae. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge 10(2): 1-140, pls 37-50.  Kylin, H. (1912). Studien über die Schwedischen Arten der Gattungen Batrachospermum Roth und Sirodotia nov. gen. Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Ups. Ser. IV, 3: 1-40. Roth, A.W. 1797. Bemerkungen über das Studium der cryptogamischen Wassergewächse [1]6-109 [Druckfehler].  Skuja, H. (1934). Untersuchungen über die Rhodophyceen des Sußwassers. Beihefte zum Botanische Centralblatt 52: 173-192. Wehr, J.D. and R.G. Sheath 2002. Freshwater Algae of North America: Ecology and Classification (Aquatic Ecology). 2^nd edition. Academic Press (918 pp).