| Trentepohlia | |
|---|---|
| Trentepohlia sp. on Cryptomeria japonica bark |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Viridiplantae |
| Phylum: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Ulvophyceae |
| Order: | Trentepohliales |
| Family: | Trentepohliaceae |
| Genus: | Trentepohlia Mart. |
| Species | |
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In botany, Trentepohlia is a genus of filamentous green chlorophyte algae, specifically of the family Trentepohliaceae, living on terrestrial supports such as tree trunks and wet rocks.[1] Trentepohlia species form associations with fungal hyphae, and are widespread photobionts in lichens, such as the "secret writing" crustose lichen genera Graphis, Graphina, Gyalecta and Opegrapha.[2][3] The strong orange colour of the filaments, which masks the green of the chlorophyll, is caused by the presence of large quantities of carotenoid pigments. This colour was found to be the source of an incident of red rain in Kerala, India.[4] In Rotorua, New Zealand, plants and trees contain this algae from being exposed to thermal activity.
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