Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a

taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...

informally called chlorophytes. The name is used in two very different senses, so care is needed to determine the use by a particular author. In older classification systems, it refers to a highly

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

group of ''all'' the green algae within the green plants (

Viridiplantae Viridiplantae (literally "green plants") are a clade of eukaryotic organisms that comprise approximately 450,000–500,000 species and play important roles in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are made up of the green algae, which ...

) and thus includes about 7,000

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of mostly aquatic

photosynthetic Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in c ...

eukaryotic Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacte ...

organisms. In newer classifications, it refers to the sister clade of the

streptophyte Streptophyta (), informally the streptophytes (, from the Greek ''strepto'' 'twisted', for the morphology of the sperm of some members), is a clade of plants. The composition of the clade varies considerably between authors, but the definition ...

charophytes Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a phylum, division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly fro ...

. The clade Streptophyta consists of the

Charophyta Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly from terre ...

in which the

Embryophyta The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as siste ...

(land plants) emerged. In this latter sense the Chlorophyta includes only about 4,300 species. About 90% of all known species live in freshwater. Like the

land plants The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as siste ...

(

embryophytes The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as sist ...

bryophyte The Bryophyta s.l. are a proposed taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants (embryophytes): the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. Bryophyta s.s. consists of the mosses only. They are characteristically limited in ...

s and

tracheophytes Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They al ...

), green algae (chlorophytes and charophytes besides embryophytes) contain chlorophyll a and

chlorophyll b } Chlorophyll ''b'' is a form of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll ''b'' helps in photosynthesis by absorbing light energy. It is more soluble than chlorophyll ''a'' in polar solvents because of its carbonyl group. Its color is green, and it primarily ...

and store food as

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...

in their

plastids The plastid (Greek: πλαστός; plastós: formed, molded – plural plastids) is a membrane-bound organelle found in the cells of plants, algae, and some other eukaryotic organisms. They are considered to be intracellular endosymbiotic cyanobac ...

. With the exception of

Palmophyllophyceae The Palmophyllophyceae are a proposed basal Chlorophyte clade consisting of the Palmophyllales and Prasinococcales Prasinococcaceae is a family of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinode ...

Trebouxiophyceae The Trebouxiophyceae are a class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta. Their circumscription within the green algae is not well established due to the need for more genetic studies at higher levels within the group. Genera without interv ...

Ulvophyceae The Ulvophyceae or ulvophytes are a class of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology, life cycle and molecular phylogenetic data.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cummin ...

and

Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, p ...

, which show various degrees of multicellularity, all the Chlorophyta lineages are unicellular. Some members of the group form

symbiotic Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

relationships with

protozoa Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histo ...

, sponges, and cnidarians. Others form symbiotic relationships with fungi to form

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.oogamous Oogamy is an extreme form of anisogamy where the gametes differ in both size and form. In oogamy the large female gamete (also known as ovum) is immobile, while the small male gamete (also known as sperm) is mobile. Oogamy is a common form of an ...

isogamous Isogamy is a form of sexual reproduction that involves gametes of the same morphology (indistinguishable in shape and size), found in most unicellular eukaryotes. Because both gametes look alike, they generally cannot be classified as male or fe ...

. All members of the clade have motile flagellated swimming cells. While most species live in freshwater habitats and a large number in

marine habitats Marine habitats are habitats that support marine life. Marine life depends in some way on the saltwater that is in the sea (the term ''marine'' comes from the Latin ''mare'', meaning sea or ocean). A habitat is an ecological or environmental a ...

, other species are adapted to a wide range of land environments. For example, ''Chlamydomonas nivalis'', which causes

Watermelon snow Watermelon snow, also called snow algae, pink snow, red snow, or blood snow, is a phenomenon caused by ''Chlamydomonas nivalis'', a species of green algae containing a secondary red carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) in addition to chlorophyll. Unlik ...

, lives on summer alpine snowfields. Others, such as '' Trentepohlia'' species, live attached to rocks or woody parts of trees. ''

Monostroma kuroshiense ''Monostroma kuroshiense'', a green alga in the division Chlorophyta, is a green seaweed endemic to Kuroshio Coast of Japan. This high-value seaweed is called Hitoegusa or Hirohano hitoegusa (ヒロハノヒトエグサ) in Japanese. Previously ...

'', an edible green alga cultivated worldwide and most expensive among green algae, belongs to this group.

Ecology

Species of Chlorophyta (treated as what is now considered one of the two main clades of

) are common inhabitants of marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments.Graham LE, Graham JM, Wilcox LW (2009) ''Algae''. 2nd Edition. Benjamin Cummings (Pearson), San Francisco, CA Several species have adapted to specialised and extreme environments, such as deserts, arctic environments,

hypersaline A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride, brines, and other salts, with saline levels surpassing that of ocean water (3.5%, i.e. ). Specific microbial species can thrive in h ...

habitats, marine deep waters, deep-sea

hydrothermal vent A hydrothermal vent is a fissure on the seabed from which geothermally heated water discharges. They are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart at mid-ocean ridges, ocean basins, and hotspot ...

s and habitats that experiences extreme changes in temperature, light and salinity. Some groups, such as the

Trentepohliales Trentepohliales is an order (biology), order of Ulvophyceaen green algae.See the National Center for Biotechnology Information, NCBI]webpage on Trentepohliales Data extracted from the References External links

Chlorophyta orders Ulvoph ...

are exclusively found on land. Several species of Chlorophyta live in

symbiosis Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

with a diverse range of

eukaryote Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacte ...

s, including

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

(to form

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.ciliate The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to flagellum, eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a ...

forams Foraminifera (; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class (biology), class of Amoeba, amoeboid protists characterized by streaming granular Ectoplasm (cell biology), ectoplasm ...

cnidarian Cnidaria () is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic animals found both in freshwater and marine environments, predominantly the latter. Their distinguishing feature is cnidocytes, specialized cells that th ...

s and

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

s. Some species of Chlorophyta are

heterotrophic A heterotroph (; ) is an organism that cannot produce its own food, instead taking nutrition from other sources of organic carbon, mainly plant or animal matter. In the food chain, heterotrophs are primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, but ...

, either free-living or

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...

. Others are

mixotroph A mixotroph is an organism that can use a mix of different sources of energy and carbon, instead of having a single trophic mode on the continuum from complete autotrophy at one end to heterotrophy at the other. It is estimated that mixotrophs comp ...

bacterivore A bacterivore is an organism which obtains energy and nutrients primarily or entirely from the consumption of bacteria. The term is most commonly used to describe free-living, heterotrophic, microscopic organisms such as nematodes as well as many sp ...

s through

phagocytosis Phagocytosis () is the process by which a cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle (≥ 0.5 μm), giving rise to an internal compartment called the phagosome. It is one type of endocytosis. A cell that performs phagocytosis is ...

. Two common species of the heterotrophic green alga ''

Prototheca ''Prototheca'' is a genus of algae in the family Chlorellaceae. All the species within this genus, even though classified as green algae, have forfeited their photosynthetic ability and have switched to parasitism. Some species can cause the dise ...

'' are

pathogenic In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

and can cause the disease

protothecosis Protothecosis, otherwise known as Algaemia, is a disease found in dogs, cats, cattle, and humans caused by a type of green alga known as ''Prototheca'' that lacks chlorophyll and enters the human or animal bloodstream. It and its close relative '' ...

in humans and animals.

Classifications

Characteristics used for the classification of Chlorophyta are: type of

zoid In botany, a zoid or zoïd is a sexual reproduction, reproductive Cell (biology), cell that possesses one or more flagellum, flagella, and is capable of independent movement. Zoid can refer to either an asexually reproductive spore or a sexuall ...

mitosis In cell biology, mitosis () is a part of the cell cycle in which replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Cell division by mitosis gives rise to genetically identical cells in which the total number of chromosomes is mainta ...

(karyokynesis),

cytokinesis Cytokinesis () is the part of the cell division process during which the cytoplasm of a single eukaryotic cell divides into two daughter cells. Cytoplasmic division begins during or after the late stages of nuclear division in mitosis and meios ...

, organization level,

life cycle Life cycle, life-cycle, or lifecycle may refer to: Science and academia *Biological life cycle, the sequence of life stages that an organism undergoes from birth to reproduction ending with the production of the offspring *Life-cycle hypothesis, ...

, type of

gametes A gamete (; , ultimately ) is a haploid cell that fuses with another haploid cell during fertilization in organisms that reproduce sexually. Gametes are an organism's reproductive cells, also referred to as sex cells. In species that produce t ...

cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mech ...

polysaccharides Polysaccharides (), or polycarbohydrates, are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food. They are long chain polymeric carbohydrates composed of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. This carbohydrate can react with w ...

and more recently

genetic data In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding gene ...

Phylogeny

A newer proposed classification follows Leliaert et al. 2011 and modified with Silar 2016, Leliaert 2016 and Lopes dos Santos et al. 2017 for the green algal clades and Novíkov & Barabaš-Krasni 2015 for the land plants clade. Sánchez-Baracaldo et al. is followed for the basal clades. A 2020 paper places the "Prasinodermophyta" (i.e. Prasinodermophyceae +

) as the basal Viridiplantae clade.

Leliaert ''et al''. 2012

Simplified phylogeny of the Chlorophyta, according to Leliaert ''et al''. 2012. Note that many algae previously classified in Chlorophyta are placed here in Streptophyta. *

**Chlorophyta ***core chlorophytes ****

*****

Cladophorales Cladophorales are an order of green algae, in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes o ...

*****

Dasycladales Dasycladales is an order of large unicellular green algae in the class Ulvophyceae. It contains two families, the Dasycladaceae and the Polyphysaceae. These single celled algae are from 2 mm to 200 mm long. They live on substrates ...

*****

Bryopsidales Bryopsidales is an order of green algae, in the class Ulvophyceae. Characteristics The thallus is filamentous and much branched and may be packed into a mass. It is coenocytic, having multi-nucleate cells consisting of cytoplasm contained withi ...

*****

Chlorophyta orders Ulvoph ...

*****

Ulvales Ulvales is an order of green alga The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have em ...

Ulotrichales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis''): *'' Trichosarcina'' Families * '' Binucleariaceae'' * '' Collins ...

*****

Oltmannsiellopsidales Oltmannsiellopsidales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Insti ...

****

*****

Oedogoniales The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numerous ...

*****

Chaetophorales Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of pig ...

*****

Chaetopeltidales Chaetopeltidales are an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. They are usually green due to the dominance of ...

*****

Chlamydomonadales Chlamydomonadales, also known as Volvocales, are an order of flagellated or pseudociliated green algae, specifically of the Chlorophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Chlamydomonadales Data extracted from the Chlamydomonadales can form planar or ...

*****

Sphaeropleales Sphaeropleales is an order of green algae that used to be called Chlorococcales. The order includes some of the most common freshwater planktonic algae such as ''Scenedesmus'' and ''Pediastrum''. The Spaeropleales includes vegetatively non-motile ...

****

*****

Chlorellales The Chlorellales are an order of green algae in the class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects ...

*****

Oocystaceae Oocystaceae is a family of green algae, in the order Chlorellales. The type genus is '' Oocystis''. List of genera , AlgaeBase accepted the following genera: *'' Amphikrikos'' Korshikov – 6 species *'' Catenocystis'' F.Hindák – 2 specie ...

*****

Microthamniales Microthamniaceae is a family of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Instit ...

***** Trebouxiales *****''

Prasiola ''Prasiola'' is a genus of fresh water and marine green algae. Each individual plant is small but they usually grow side by side to form a green turf on rock surfaces. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Occurrence Freshwater species i ...

'' clade ****

Chlorodendrophyceae Chlorodendrales are an order of green, flagellated, thecate, unicellular eukaryotes, within the green algae class Chlorodendrophyceae.Becker, B., Marin, B. and Melkonian, M. 1994: Structure, composition, and biogenesis of prasinophyte cell coveri ...

***

prasinophyte The prasinophytes are a group of unicellular green algae. Prasinophytes mainly include marine planktonic species, as well as some freshwater representatives.Sym, S. D. and Pienaar, R. N. 1993. The class Prasinophyceae. In Round, F. E. and Chapma ...

s (paraphyletic) ****

Pyramimonadales Pyramimonadales are an order of green algae in the Chlorophyta. The chloroplasts of phototrophic euglenids probably came from endosymbiosis with a member of this order. Taxonomy * Family Polyblepharidaceae Dangeard 1888 ** Genus '' Amphoraemo ...

****

Mamiellophyceae Mamiellophyceae is a class of green algae in the division Chlorophyta Chlorophyta or Prasinophyta is a taxon of green algae informally called chlorophytes. The name is used in two very different senses, so care is needed to determine the u ...

****

Pycnococcaceae Pycnococcaceae is a family (biology), family of green algae in the order Pseudoscourfieldiales. The defining features of this family include the single invagination of the pyrenoid where the mitochondrial membrane fits into it Guillard ''et al.'' ...

**** Nephroselmidophyceae ****

Prasinococcales Prasinococcaceae is a family of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophyte ...

****

Palmophyllales The Palmophyllales are a deep-branching order of thalloid green alga, possibly forming a sister group to the Chlorophyta. They survive today in deep waters, where predation pressure is reduced. The group contains the genera '' Palmophyllum'', '' ...

Streptophyta Streptophyta (), informally the streptophytes (, from the Greek ''strepto'' 'twisted', for the morphology of the sperm of some members), is a clade of plants. The composition of the clade varies considerably between authors, but the definition ...

***

charophyte Charophyta () is a group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a phylum, division, yet also as a superdivision or an unranked clade. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged within Charophyta, possibly fro ...

s ****

Mesostigmatophyceae The Mesostigmatophyceae are a class of basal green algae found in freshwater. In a narrow circumscription, the class contains a single genus, ''Mesostigma''. AlgaeBase then places the order within its circumscription of Charophyta. A clade contai ...

****

Chlorokybophyceae ''Chlorokybus'' is a multicellular (sarcinoid) genus of basal green algae or Charophyta, charophyte, a soil algae, alga. It has been classified as the sole member of the family Chlorokybaceae, which is the sole member of the order Chlorokybales, ...

****

Klebsormidiophyceae Klebsormidiales is an order of charophyte algae. It is the only order in the class Klebsormidiophyceae, sister of the Phragmoplastophyta. , AlgaeBase accepted two families in the order: * Elakatotrichaceae Hindák *Klebsormidiaceae The Klebsorm ...

****

Charophyceae Charophyceae is a class of charophyte green algae. AlgaeBase places it in division Charophyta. Extant (living) species are placed in a single order Charales, commonly known as "stoneworts" and "brittleworts". Fossil members of the class may be pl ...

****

Zygnematophyceae Zygnematophyceae (or Conjugatophyceae) is a class of green algae in the paraphylum streptophyte algae, also referred to as Charophyta, consisting of more than 4000 described species. It contains five orders: the Spirogloeales, the Serritaeniales, ...

****

Coleochaetophyceae Coleochaetophyceae are a class of charophyte algae that includes some of the closest multicellular relatives of land plants The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embr ...

***

(land plants)

Pombert ''et al''. 2005

A possible classification when Chlorophyta refers to one of the two clades of the Viridiplantae is shown below. * Class

Prasinophyceae The prasinophytes are a group of unicellular green algae. Prasinophytes mainly include marine planktonic species, as well as some freshwater representatives.Sym, S. D. and Pienaar, R. N. 1993. The class Prasinophyceae. In Round, F. E. and Chapman ...

T. A. Chr. ex Ø. Moestrup & J. Throndsen * Class

Wille * Class

T. Friedl * Class

Lewis & McCourt 2004

* Division Chlorophyta (green algae sensu stricto) ** Subdivision Chlorophytina *** Class

(chlorophytes) **** Order

(+ some

Chlorococcales Chlorococcales is a formerly recognized Order (biology), order of green algae in the Class (biology), class Chlorophyceae. , the type family Chlorococcaceae was placed in the order Chlamydomonadales. Conventionally, many groups of coccoid green ...

+ some

Tetrasporales The Tetrasporales are a formerly recognized order of green algae, specifically the Chlorophyceae, now included in Chlamydomonadales. AlgaeBase places ''Tetraspora'' and Tetrasporaceae The Tetrasporaceae are a family of green algae, specifical ...

+ some Chlorosarcinales) **** Order

(sensu Deason, plus ''Bracteacoccus, Schroederia, Scenedesmaceae, Selanastraceae'') **** Order

**** Order

**** Incertae Sedis (''Cylindrocapsa'' clade, ''Mychonastes'' clade) *** Class

(ulvophytes) **** Order

**** Order

**** Order Siphoncladales/

**** Order Caulerpales **** Order

*** Class

(trebouxiophytes) **** Order Trebouxiales **** Order

**** Order

Prasiolales Prasiolales is an order of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Prasiolales Data extracted from the Genera of uncertain placement to family: *''Elliptochloris ''Elliptochloris'' is a genus of green algae in ...

**** Order

*** Class

(prasinophytes) **** Order

**** Order

Mamiellales Mamiellales are an order of green algae in the class Mamiellophyceae. Their cells and flagella are covered with spiderweb-like scales of several types. Some species lack scales but possess pigments similar to those of the scale-bearing species. ...

**** Order

Pseudoscourfieldiales Pseudoscourfieldiales is an order of green algae in the class Pyramimonadophyceae. References External links Chlorophyta orders Pyramimonadophyceae Monotypic orders {{green algae-stub ...

**** Order

Chlorodendrales Chlorodendrales are an order of green, flagellated, thecate, unicellular eukaryotes, within the green algae class Chlorodendrophyceae.Becker, B., Marin, B. and Melkonian, M. 1994: Structure, composition, and biogenesis of prasinophyte cell coveri ...

**** Incertae sedis (Unnamed clade of coccoid taxa) * Division

(charophyte algae and embryophytes) ** Class

(mesostigmatophytes) ** Class

(chlorokybophytes) ** Class

(klebsormidiophytes) ** Class

Zygnemophyceae Zygnematophyceae (or Conjugatophyceae) is a class of green algae in the paraphylum streptophyte algae, also referred to as Charophyta, consisting of more than 4000 described species. It contains five orders: the Spirogloeales, the Serritaeniales, ...

(conjugates) *** Order

Zygnematales The Zygnematales ( el, ζυγός (''zygós'') and νῆμα (''nḗma'') ( nom.), νήματος (''nḗmatos'') (gen.)), also called the Conjugatales, are an order of green algae, comprising several thousand different species in two families. ...

(filamentous conjugates and saccoderm desmids) *** Order

Desmidiales Desmidiales, commonly called desmids (''Gr.'' ''desmos'', bond or chain), are an order in the Charophyta, a division of green algae in which the land plants (Embryophyta) emerged. Or in other words, Desmid, (order Desmidiales), order of single ...

(placoderm desmids) ** Class

(coleochaetophytes) *** Order

Coleochaetales Coleochaetaceae is a family of algae. It is the only family in the Coleochaetales, an order of parenchymous charophyte algae, that includes some of the closest multicellular relatives of land plants. They questionably include the fossil genus ...

** Subdivision

Streptophytina The Phragmoplastophyta (Lecointre & Guyader 2006) are a proposed sister clade of the Klebsormidiaceae in the Streptophyte/Charophyta, Charophyte clade. The Phragmoplastophyta consist of the Charophyceae, Charophycaea and another unnamed clade whi ...

*** Class

(reverts to use of GM Smith) **** Order

Charales Charales is an order of freshwater green algae in the division Charophyta, class Charophyceae, commonly known as stoneworts. Depending on the treatment of the genus ''Nitellopsis'', living (extant) species are placed into either one family ( Ch ...

(charophytes sensu stricto) *** Class

Embryophyceae The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as sist ...

(embryophytes)

Hoek, Mann and Jahns 1995

Classification of the Chlorophyta, treated as all green algae, according to Hoek, Mann and Jahns 1995. * Class

(orders

, Pseudocourfeldiales,

) * Class

(orders

Volvocales Chlamydomonadales, also known as Volvocales, are an order of flagellated or pseudociliated green algae, specifically of the Chlorophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Chlamydomonadales Data extracted from the Chlamydomonadales can form planar or ...

[including the

) * Class

(orders Codiolales,

) * Class Cladophorophyceae (order

) * Class

Bryopsidophyceae Bryopsidophyceae is an unaccepted class of chlorophyte green alga The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The la ...

(orders

, Halimedales) * Class Dasycladophyceae (order

) * Class Trentepohliophyceae (order

Chlorophyta orders Ulvoph ...

) * Class

Pleurastrophyceae The Pleurastrophyceae were a formerly recognized class of green algae, in the division Chlorophyta. It was created by Mattox and Stewart in 1984, containing four genera. More recent classifications tend to split the group. On the one hand, ''Te ...

(order Pleurastrales) * ''

Incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' (order

) * Class

(orders

Klebsormidiales Klebsormidiales is an order of charophyte algae. It is the only order in the class Klebsormidiophyceae, sister of the Phragmoplastophyta. , AlgaeBase accepted two families in the order: * Elakatotrichaceae Hindák *Klebsormidiaceae The Klebsorm ...

) * Class

(order

) * Class

(order

) In a note added in proof, an alternative classification is presented for the algae of the class Chlorophyceae: * Class Chlamydophyceae (orders

) * Class Oedogoniophyceae (order

) * Class

(order

)

Bold and Wynne 1985

Classification of the Chlorophyta and Charophyta according to Bold and Wynne 1985. * Chlorophyta,

(16 orders) **

** Chlorosarcinales **

Chlorophyta orders Ulvoph ...

Acrosiphoniales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis''): *'' Trichosarcina'' Families * '' Binucleariaceae'' * '' Collin ...

** Caulerpales ** Siphonocladales **

(1 order) **

Mattox & Stewart 1984

Classification of the Chlorophyta according to Mattox & Stewart 1984: * Micromonadophyceae (similar to

; Tetraselmidiales transferred to Pleurastrophyceae) *

Rabenhorst **

Chlorokybales ''Chlorokybus'' is a multicellular (sarcinoid) genus of basal green algae or charophyte, a soil alga Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grou ...

** Tetraselmidiales ** Pleurastrales *

Wille in Warming **

** Chlorosarcinales **

Fott 1971

Classification of the Chlorophyta according to Fott 1971. *Class

:*Order

::*Suborder Chlorosarcineae ::*Suborder Ulotrichineae ::*Suborder Oedogoniineae ::*Suborder Chaetophorineae :*Order Siphonocladales :*Order

*Class

Conjugatophyceae Zygnematophyceae (or Conjugatophyceae) is a class of green algae in the paraphylum streptophyte algae, also referred to as Charophyta, consisting of more than 4000 described species. It contains five orders: the Spirogloeales, the Serritaeniales ...

*Class

Round 1971

Classification of the Chlorophyta and related algae according to Round 1971. * "

" **

Euglenophyta Euglenids (euglenoids, or euglenophytes, formally Euglenida/Euglenoida, ICZN, or Euglenophyceae, ICBN) are one of the best-known groups of flagellates, which are excavate eukaryotes of the phylum Euglenophyta and their cell structure is typic ...

** Prasinophyta **

** Chlorophyta *** Zygnemaphyceae (=

; orders Mesotaeniales,

, Gonatozygales,

) *** Oedogoniophyceae (order

) ***

**** Hemisiphoniidae (orders

**** Cystosiphoniidae (orders

, Siphonocladales, Chlorochytriales) **** Eusiphoniidae (orders Derbesiales, Codiales, Caulerpales, Dichotomosiphonales, Phyllosiphonales) ***

**** orders

, Polyblepharidales,

, Chlorosarcinales,

**** orders

, Codiolales,

, Cylindrocapsales, Microsporales **** orders

Chlorophyta orders Ulvoph ...

, Pleurococcales, Ulvellales

Smith 1938

Classification of the Chlorophyta according to

Smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

1938: *Class 1.

::*Order 1.

::::*Family 1.

Chlamydomonadaceae Chlamydomonadaceae is a family of algae within the order Chlamydomonadales.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Chlamydomonadaceae Data extracted from the Genera As accepted by WoRMS; * '' Agloë'' * ''Brachiomonas'' * ''Carteria'' * '' Cercidium'' ...

::::*Family 2.

Volvocaceae The Volvocaceae are a family of unicellular or colonial biflagellates, including the typical genus ''Volvox''. The family was named by Ehrenberg in 1834,From p. 281: ''"VOLVOCINA Nova Familia."'' (Volvocina New Family.) ote: According to p. 1 ...

::*Order 2.

::*Order 3.

::::*Family 1.

Ulotrichaceae Ulotrichaceae is a family of green algae in the order Ulotrichales Ulotrichales is an order of green algae in the class Ulvophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Ulotrichales Data extracted from the Genera unplaced to family (''incertae sedis ...

::::*Family 2. Microsporaceae ::::*Family 3. Cylindrocapsaceae ::::*Family 4.

Chaetophoraceae Chaetophoraceae is a family of green algae in the order Chaetophorales. Genera * '' Arthrochaete'' * '' Caespitella'' * '' Cedercreutziella'' * '' Chaetomnion'' * '' Chaetonemopsis'' * '' Chaetophora'' * '' Chloroclonium'' * '' Chlorofilum'' * ...

::::*Family 5. Protococcaceae ::::*Family 6. Coleochaetaceae ::::*Family 7.

Trentepohliaceae Trentepohliaceae are a family of green algae in the order Trentepohliales Trentepohliales is an order (biology), order of Ulvophyceaen green algae.See the National Center for Biotechnology Information, NCBI]webpage on Trentepohliales Data ext ...

::*Order 4.

::::*Family 1.

Ulvaceae Ulvaceae () is a widely distributed family of thin green algae having either a flat or a hollow tubular thallus, reproducing by the conjugation of planogametes or of zoospores, and being classed among the Ulotrichales or now more commonly placed ...

::::*Family 2

Schizomeridaceae Schizomeridaceae is a family of algae in the order Chaetophorales.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes of ...

::*Order 5. Schizogoniales ::::*Family Schizogoniaceae ::*Order 6.

::::*Family 1.

Cladophoraceae Cladophoraceae are a family of green algae in the order the Cladophorales.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Cladophoraceae Data extracted from the This family includes notably the genus ''Chaetomorpha ''Chaetomorpha'' is a genus of green algae in t ...

::::*Family 2.

Sphaeropleaceae Sphaeropleaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales Sphaeropleales is an order of green algae that used to be called Chlorococcales. The order includes some of the most common freshwater planktonic algae such as ''Scenedesmu ...

::*Order 7.

::::*Family

Oedogoniaceae The Oedogoniales are an order of filamentous freshwater green algae of the class Chlorophyceae. The order is well-defined and has several unique features, including asexual reproduction with zoospores that possess stephanokont flagella: numero ...

::*Order 8.

::::*Family 1.

Zygnemataceae The Zygnemataceae are a family of filamentous or unicellular, uniseriate (unbranched) green algae. The filaments are septated and reproduction is by conjugation; ''Spirogyra'' is commonly used in schools to demonstrate this kind of reproduction ...

::::*Family 2.

Mesotaeniaceae The Mesotaeniaceae are a small family of unicellular green algae known as the "saccoderm desmids". The Mesotaeniaceae appear to be sister or ancestral to the Zygnemataceae. The desmids are a deep branching group of Zygnemataceae. ''Spirotaenia' ...

::::*Family 3.

Desmidiaceae The Desmidiaceae are one of four families of charophyte green algae in the order Desmidiales (desmids).See the NCBIbr>webpage on Desmidiaceae Data extracted from the Genera Genera accepted by AlgaeBase were: *'' Actinodontum'' – 3 species ...

::*Order 9.

::::*Family 1.

Chlorococcaceae Chlorococcaceae is a family of green algae, in the order Chlamydomonadales. List of genera * '' Apodochloris'' * '' Bracteacoccus'' * '' Chlorococcopsis'' * '' Chlorococcum'' * '' Chlorohippotes'' * '' Chlorotetraedron'' * '' Closteridium'' * ' ...

::::*Family 2.

Endosphaeraceae Chlorochytriaceae is a family of algae within the order Chlamydomonadales Chlamydomonadales, also known as Volvocales, are an order of flagellated or pseudociliated green algae, specifically of the Chlorophyceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on C ...

::::*Family 3.

Characiaceae Characiaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales. Genera , AlgaeBase accepted the following genera: *'' Acrochasma'' Korshikov – 1 species *'' Actidesmium'' Reinsch – 2 species *'' Bicuspidellopsis'' Korshikov – 1 specie ...

::::*Family 4. Protosiphonaceae ::::*Family 5.

Hydrodictyaceae Hydrodictyaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales. Genera * '' Euastropsis'' * '' Helierella'' * '' Hydrodictyon'' * '' Lacunastrum'' * '' Monactinus'' * '' Parapediastrum'' * ''Pediastrum ''Pediastrum'' is a genus of ...

::::*Family 6. Oöcystaceae ::::*Family 7.

Scenedesmaceae Scenedesmaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales. ''Scenedesmus'' algae are commonly found in freshwater plankton. The former family Coelastraceae is considered a synonym of Scenedesmaceae. Genera Genera in this family ...

::*Order 10. Siphonales ::::*Family 1.

Bryopsidaceae Bryopsidaceae is a family of green algae, in the order Bryopsidales Bryopsidales is an order of green algae, in the class Ulvophyceae. Characteristics The thallus is filamentous and much branched and may be packed into a mass. It is coenocyt ...

::::*Family 2.

Caulerpaceae Caulerpaceae is a family of green algae in the order Bryopsidales Bryopsidales is an order of green algae, in the class Ulvophyceae. Characteristics The thallus is filamentous and much branched and may be packed into a mass. It is coenocytic ...

::::*Family 3. Halicystaceae ::::*Family 4.

Codiaceae Codiaceae is a family of green algae in the order Bryopsidales. Genera * † '' Abacella'' Maslov * '' Appeninocodium'' O.Dragastan * ''Arabicodium'' G.F.Elliott * '' Bevocastria'' E.J.Garwood * '' Botryella'' V.P.Shuysky * '' Boueina'' F ...

::::*Family 5. Derbesiaceae ::::*Family 6. Vaucheriaceae ::::*Family 7. Phyllosiphonaceae ::*Order 11. Siphonocladiales ::::*Family 1.

Valoniaceae Valoniaceae is a family of green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes ...

::::*Family 2.

Dasycladaceae The Dasycladaceae is one of the two extant families of green algae of the order Dasycladales. When found in Palaeozoic limestones, they typically indicate depositional depth of less than 5m.See the NCBI The National Center for Biotechnology ...

*Class 2.

::*Order

::::*Family Characeae

Research and discoveries

In February 2020, the fossilized remains of green algae, named ''Proterocladus antiquus'' were discovered in the northern province of

Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...

, China. At around a billion years old, it is believed to be one of the oldest examples of a multicellular chlorophyte.

Ecology

Classifications

Phylogeny

Leliaert ''et al''. 2012

Pombert ''et al''. 2005

Lewis & McCourt 2004

Hoek, Mann and Jahns 1995

Bold and Wynne 1985

Mattox & Stewart 1984

Fott 1971

Round 1971

Smith 1938

Research and discoveries

References

Further reading