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Electronic Flora of South Australia Genus Fact Sheet

Genus ENTOCLADIA Reinke 1879: 476

Phylum Chlorophyta – Order Chaetophorales – Family Chaetophoraceae

Thallus minute, epiphytic or largely endophytic on or in the surface of larger algae, consisting of wholly prostrate branched filaments of cells square to rectangular or irregularly shaped in surface view and lying parallel to the host surface; filaments mostly free, sometimes forming pseudoparenchymatous layers in older parts of the thallus. Cells uninucleate, chloroplast single, lobed, with 1 (–2) pyrenoids; hairs occasional on some plants.

Reproduction: Reproduction by cells forming gametangia with biflagellate anisogametes and sporangia with quadriflagellate zoospores.

Life history sexual with isomorphic generations, or asexual only.

Type species: E. viridis Reinke.

Taxonomic notes: A cosmopolitan genus with several species, and which O'Kelly & Yarish (1981) consider includes Ectochaete (Huber) Wille and Epicladia Reinke. Nielsen (1979) considers Entocladia a synonym of Acrochaete Pringsheim since both genera can produce hairs, but O'Kelly & Yarish maintain Entocladia as having cells lying on (parallel to) the substrate whereas Acrochaete has cells perpendicular to the substrate. Yarish (1976) has shown that hair production is largely a response to low nutrient levels.

References:

NIELSEN, R. (1979). Culture studies on the type species of Acrochaete, Bolbocoleon and Entocladia (Chaetophoraceae, Chlorophyceae). Bot. Notiser, 132, 441–449.

O'KELLY, C.J. & YARISH, C. (1981). Observations on marine Chaetophoraceae (Chlorophyta) II. On the circumscription of the genus Entocladia Reinke. Phycologia 20, 32–45.

REINKE, J. (1879). Zwei parasitische Algen. Bot. zeit. 37, 473–478, 1 Plate.

YARISH, C. (1976). Polymorphism of selected marine Chaetophoraceae (Chlorophyta). Br. phycol. J. 11, 29–38.

The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part I complete list of references.

Author: H.B.S. Womersley

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (31 May, 1984)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Part I
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