Nitellopsis obtusa
Species of plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nitellopsis obtusa is a large freshwater alga. It is also known by the common name starry stonewort.[1] This alga grows to a length of over 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in), is bright translucent green and has branches growing in whorls from the main axis. It is easily distinguished from other charophytes by star-shaped bulbils which permit vegetative reproduction.[1]
| Nitellopsis obtusa | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Archaeplastida |
| Clade: | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Charophyta |
| Class: | Charophyceae |
| Order: | Charales |
| Family: | Feistiellaceae (?) |
| Genus: | Nitellopsis |
| Species: | N. obtusa |
| Binomial name | |
| Nitellopsis obtusa (N.A. Desvaux) J. Groves | |
Description
Nitellopsis obtusa has long, fairly straight branches arranged in whorls, attached at nodes to the stem at an acute angle. Both stem and branches are about 1 mm (0.04 in) in diameter, and the internodal lengths of stem consist of a single cell which may be several centimetres long. Stems may be up to 80 cm (31 in) or even longer and form dense masses. When in active growth, the colour is light green. At the base of the main stems, there may be creamy-white bulbils. The rhizoids are star-shaped. Plants are either male or female. The oogonia (female reproductive structures) form at the base of upper branchlets and orange to red oocytes can occur, which help distinguish this alga from the rather similar musk-grass and brittlewort.[2]
Habitat
Distribution
Nitellopsis obtusa is widely dispersed in Europe and Asia.[1] It is known from only a few sites in the British Isles,[3] including Cosmeston Lake in the Vale of Glamorgan.[4] It has invaded the Laurentian Great Lakes in North America.[1]
