Acetabularia acetabulum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mermaid's Wine Glass | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Top view of caps of Acetabularia acetabulum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Ulvophyceae |
| Order: | Dasycladales |
| Family: | Polyphysaceae |
| Genus: | Acetabularia |
| Species: | A. acetabulum |
| Binomial name | |
| Acetabularia acetabulum (Linnaeus) P. C. Silva, 1952 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
List
| |
Acetabularia acetabulum, mermaid's wine glass, is a species of green alga in the family Polyphysaceae. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of one to two metres.[2]
This alga adheres to the substrate with rhizoids (root-like processes), and these are the only part of the alga present in the winter. The thallus consists of a single cell, and in the spring a slender stem develops from the holdfast, growing vertically to a length of about 5 cm (2 in). Growth is interrupted at intervals while a whorl of hairs develop which encircle the stem, branching dichotomously. As the stem lengthens and more whorls grow, the lower hairs drop off leaving behind a circular scar. When the stem is fully developed, a disc-shaped cap up to 1.2 cm (0.5 in) wide grows at the tip, the whole frond resembling a pale green parasol; further whorls of hairs grow from the upper surface of the cap.[3][4]
