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Name derivation:

"Tailed Spore"

Urospora  L. uro: with a long tail + spora: spore

Urospora penicilliformis- L. penicillatus: a pencil + formis: shape of

Morphology:

Filamentous with multiple basal rhizoids makes up the holdfast. Alga consists of slender to course, unbranched, uniseriate filaments, rarely over 10 cm long, attached by external descending rhizoids from lower several cells.

Similar genera:

Urospora is an unbranched uniseriate filament attached by multiple rhizoids. Chaetomorpha and Ulothrix lack rhizoids and are attached by a single basal cell.

Rhizoclonium has a single basal cell, with multiple rhizoids, otherwise looks similar. Ulothrix lacks rhizoids, but has a single basal cell.

Habitat:

High intertidal splash zone. Winter-Spring annual. During Summer it survives as the 'codiolum' stage, a microscopic sporophyte. Generates zoospores during Fall period. Present in New England. Also distributed around Europe and also the Pacific Coast of North America and the Canadian Arctic South

References:

Burrows, E. M. 1991. Seaweeds of the British  Isles. Vol. 2. Chlorophyta. Natural History Museum, London, Publ. xii + 238 pp., 9 pls.

Taylor, W. R.  1957. Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America. Revised edition. Univ. Michigan Press., Ann Arbor, ix + 509 pp. (as Spongomorpha)