genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
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) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...
, specifically of the
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 ...
. It is commonly found in
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
''Cylindrocapsa'' consists of unbranched filaments, often attached to substrates or free-floating in water. Cells are initially uniseriate (that is, in one line), but may later become multi-seriate or irregularly arranged. Individual cells are ovoid to oblong to spherical, and are each surrounded by several concentric layers of a mucilaginous sheath. Cells contain a single
chloroplast
A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant and algal cells. The photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll captures the energy from sunlight, converts it, and stores it in ...
filling the cell, with a single pyrenoid. The chloroplast may be axial (in the middle of the cell) or parietal (lining the wall of the cell).
Taxonomy
The placement of ''Cylindrocapsa'' is unclear. Species differ significantly from each other, both in terms of morphology and
ultrastructure
Ultrastructure (or ultra-structure) is the architecture of cells and biomaterials that is visible at higher magnifications than found on a standard optical light microscope. This traditionally meant the resolution and magnification range of a co ...