Mesotaenium sp. Mesotaenium sp.    
Kingdom Plantae   >   Division Charophyta   >   Class Conjugatophyceae   >   Order Zygnematales   >   Family Mesotaeniaceae   >   Genus Mesotaenium   

Description:

Mesotaenium is a microscopic, unicellular, freshwater green alga. It is generally pill-shaped and is generally 1.5 to many times longer than broad. It is distinguished from other small, round, green algae by its axial, flat plastid (chloroplast); its central nucleus; pyrenoids; and sexual reproduction by conjugation.

Species of Mesotaenium are distinguished by their size and shape, the presence of lamellated gelatinous sheaths and, most reliably, the ornamentation of their sexual spores.

Where to find:

Mesotaenium species are an infrequent component of most oligotrophic and mesotrophic waters (i.e., habitats with low to moderate nutrients, pH and conductivity). They may form macroscopic, gelatinous masses in subaerial situations such as in seeps or the edges of waterfalls.

There is 1 record in the project database.

View at Maryland Plant Atlas

Search Flora of North America

Search Mid-Atlantic Herbaria Consortium

Search Norton-Brown Herbarium

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GA ALWAFRCLMOHOBABCHACEPGAACVCHSMKEQACNTADOWISOWO
Mesotaenium species in Garrett Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) johnbotany, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by John Hall. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.