Botryococcaceae
Family of algae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Botryococcaceae is a family of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae.[2]
| Botryococcaceae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Botryococcus braunii | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Trebouxiophyceae |
| Order: | Trebouxiales |
| Family: | Botryococcaceae Wille, 1909[1] |
| Genera | |
| |
Traditionally, Botryococcaceae has been defined on morphological grounds. Members of this family consist of irregular colonies of cells found free-floating or attached to a substrate. Cells are united by mucilaginous stalks that are formed by the gelatinization of the old parent cell walls. Cells may be spherical, ellipsoidal, or ovoid with a chloroplast with or without a pyrenoid. Reproduction occurs exclusively asexually by the formation of autospores.[3] However, molecular phylogenetic studies have found that some genera placed in Botryococcaceae based on morphology alone are unrelated to Botryococcus; the genus Dictyosphaerium is now placed in the family Chlorellaceae.[4]
