Charophyta

Charophyta

Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked) Archaeplastida
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Charophyta
Included groups

Mesostigmatophyceae
Klebsormidiophyceae
Zygnematophyceae

Zygnematales
Desmidiales

Charophyceae

Coleochaetales
Charales

The Charophyta are a division of green algae,[1] including the closest relatives of the embryophyte plants.[2] In some groups, such as conjugating green algae, flagellate cells do not occur. The latter group does engage in sexual reproduction, and motility does not involve flagella, since they are totally lacking. Flagellate cells in the form of sperm are found in stoneworts (Charales) and Coleochaetales.

Contents

Classification

Because they exclude the embryophytes, the Charophyta make a paraphyletic group[3] (although the division Charophyta is occasionally restricted to simply the Charales or stoneworts, which are monophyletic). The Charophyta plus the embryophytes make up the Streptophyta, which is a monophyletic group.

Distribution

List of species. Chara aspera Deth. ex Wild. var. aspera Ireland: Counties Down, Antrim and Londonderry.[4]

References

  1. ^ Lewis, Louise A.; Richard M. McCourt (2004). "Green algae and the origin of land plants" (abstract). American Journal of Botany 91 (10): 1535–1556. doi:10.3732/ajb.91.10.1535. PMID 21652308. http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/10/1535. 
  2. ^ Karol KG, McCourt RM, Cimino MT, Delwiche CF (December 2001). "The closest living relatives of land plants". Science 294 (5550): 2351–3. Bibcode 2001Sci...294.2351K. doi:10.1126/science.1065156. PMID 11743201. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=11743201. 
  3. ^ http://tolweb.org/Green_plants/2382
  4. ^ Morton, O. in Hackney, P. (ed.) 1992. Stewart & Corry's Flora of the North-east of Ireland. Third edition. ISBN 0-853898-446-9 (HB)

See also


Early land floræ
Related links
The first...?
Vascular plant, Cooksonia  • Tree, Wattieza  • Lycopods, the Drepanophycales and the zosterophylls  • Fungus fossil, Ornatifilum  • Lichen, Spongiophyton
Enigmatic taxa
Cuticular remains: Cosmochlaina, Nematothallus • A giant fungus? — Prototaxites
Sister taxa
Green algae: Charophyta, from which land plants evolved • Chaetocladus, an early alga
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Rhodophyta
Glaucocystophyceae
Viridiplantae/
Plantae
sensu stricto
Charophyta/GA