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Name derivation:
Lemanea: Named for Dominique Sébastian Léman, a French cryptogamic botanist
Classification:
Lemanea Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1808; There are 40 species of which 14 have been taxonomically accepted (Guiry and Guiry 2013). Order Batrachospermales; Family Lemaneaceae Synonym (?) - Chantransia (a stage in the life cycle of Lemanea)
Morphology:
Algae consist of tufts of erect, macroscopic, tubular reproductive axes with regularly placed nodes (swellings), and basal stipe attached to a prostrate holdfast. Axes are olive-green, green, or purple, leathery, hollow except for an axial filament that is often closely covered with enveloping filaments. Antheridia occur at the nodes and carpogonia form internally with trichogynes extending to the outside.
Similar genera:
Habitat:
Found in fast flowing freshwater streams and occasionally in tidal headwaters of estuaries- i.e. near tidal dams (Wood and Straughan, 1953).
References:
Bory de Saint-Vincent, J.B.G.M. 1808. Mémoire sur le genre Lemanea de la famille des Conferves. Annales du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle 12: 177-190, pls 21, 22.  Graham, L. and L. Wilcox. 2000. Algae. Prentice-Hall. Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 19 September 2013. Prescott, G. W. 1951. Algae of the Western Great Lakes Area. Cranbrook Inst. Sci. Bull. Bull. 31: Cranbrook Press, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Taylor, W. R. 1957. Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America. Revised edition. Univ. Michigan Press., Ann Arbor, ix + 509 pp. Wehr, J.D. and R.G. Sheath 2003. Freshwater Algae of North America -- Ecology and Classification. Academic Press (imprint of Elsevier). Wood, R. D. and J. Straughan. 1953. Time-intensity tolerance of Lemanea fucina to salinity. Amer. J. Bot. 40: 381-384.