Home / Chlorophyceae / Colonies / Flagellated / Volvulina
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Name derivation:
“Little roller” -- To roll Volvo- little –ulina
Classification:
Volvulina Playfair 1915; 4 of 8 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013). Order Chlamydomonadales; Family Volvocaceae
Morphology:
Spherical colonies formed by 16 cells stuck in the periphery of a gelatinous matrix. The individual cells are hemispherical with two equal flagella and a stigma. Individual cells group differently within the matrix of the hollow colony.
Similar genera:
Habitat:
Freshwater, and occasionally in soil. Some or all species are auxotrophic (requiring uptake of some form of organic carbon from the environment, e.g. vitamin B12).
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 10 September 2013. Playfair, G.I. 1915. Freshwater algae of the Lismore District: with an appendix on the algal fungi and Schizomycetes. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 40: 310-362.