Chlorophyceae

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Divisio: Chlorophyta
Subphylum: Chlorophytina
Classis: Chlorophyceae

Ordines: Chaetopeltidales – Chaetophorales – Chlamydomonadales – Oedogoniales – Sphaeropleales

Familiae (ordo incertae sedis): Chlorangiopsidaceae – Dangeardinellaceae – Tetracystaceae

Genera (familia incertae sedis): Achoma – Alvikia – Bicuspidella – Capsulococcus – Chlorovitta – †Crassikamaena – †Cribrokamaena – Diplochloris – Hexamitus – Hortobagyiella – Hyalococcus – Hydrurites – Jenufa – Jolyella – Lobocystis – †Noremia – †Seletonella – Sphaerobotrys – Variochloris

Name

Chlorophyceae Wille in Warming, 1884: 22

Lectotype: Chlorococcum Meneghini
Type designated by Christensen, T. (1994).

References
Primary references

Warming, E. 1884. Haandbog i den systematiske botanik: naermest til brug for laerere og universitets-studerende. pp. iv, 1–434. Kjøbenhavn: P.G. Philipsens. Google Books Reference page.
Christensen, T. 1994. Typification of the Class Name Chlorophyceae. Taxon 43(2): 245-246. JSTOR Reference page.

Additional references

Ruggiero, M.A., Gordon, D.P., Orrell, T.M., Bailly, N., Bourgoin, T., Brusca, R.C., Cavalier-Smith, T., Guiry, M.D. & Kirk, P.M. 2015. A Higher Level Classification of All Living Organisms. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0119248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119248 Open access. [Correction in 10(6): e0130114 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130114 Open access.] Reference page.

Links

Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2024. Chlorophyceae . AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Accessed 2024-03-21.

Vernacular names
čeština: Zelenivky
English: Chlorophyceae
eesti: Klorofüüdid
français: Chlorophycées
italiano: Cloroficee
日本語: 緑藻綱
lietuvių: Žalėsainiai
polski: Zielenice Właściwe
русский: Хлорофициевые
中文: 绿藻纲
For more multimedia, look at Chlorophyceae on Wikimedia Commons.
Taxon identifiers

AlgaeBase: 4355 CoL: 98 EoL: 3923 EPPO: 1CHLC Fossiilid.info: 9036 Fossilworks: 54452 GBIF: 329 iNaturalist: 59713 IRMNG: 1275 ITIS: 5415 NCBI: 3166 NZOR: cd09ed2e-057f-4021-b709-a842b49db28a WoRMS: 802 Wikidata: Q132609

Alternative classifications
Kützing (1845)

Kützing, F.T. 1845. Phycologia Germanica, d. i. Deutschlands Algen in bündigen Beschreibungen. Nebst einer Anleitung zum Untersuchen und Bestimmen dieser Gewächse für Anfänger. pp. i–x, 1–340. Nordhausen: W. Köhne. BHL Reference page. : pp. 54, 118, 277, 282

Algae

Classe Isocarpeae [p. 54]
Diatomeae
Chlorophyceae
Tribus Gymnospermae [p. 118]
Tribus Angiospermeae [p. 277]

Falkenberg (1882)

Schenck's Handbuch der Botanik, [1].

Algen sensu lato [p. 163, 169]

Classis Algen sensu stricto
Subclassis Melanophyceen
Subclassis Chlorophyceen
Characeen
Confervoideen
Siphoneen
Protococcaceen
Conjugaten

Eichler (1883)

Syllabus der Vorlesungen über Phanerogamenkunde, 3rd ed., 1883. See Engler & Gilg (1919), [2].

Pflanzen

A. Cryptogamae

division I. Thallophyta

classis I. Algae

group III. Chlorophyceae

reihe I. Conjugatae
reihe II. Zoosporeae
reihe III. Characeae

Warming (1884)

Warming, E. 1884. Haandbog i den systematiske botanik: naermest til brug for laerere og universitets-studerende. pp. iv, 1–434. Kjøbenhavn: P.G. Philipsens. Google Books Reference page.

German translation: Handbuch der systematischen Botanik, by Emil Knoblauch, 1890, [3].

Pflanzen

Thallophyta
Algae
Class Chlorophyceae
Order Conjugatae
Order Protococcoideae
Order Confervoideae
Order Siphoneae
Order Characeae

Blackman & Tansley (1902)

Blackman, F.F. & Tansley, A.G. 1902. A revision of the classification of the green algae. New Phytologist 1: 17–24, 47–48, 67–72, 89–96, 114–120, 133–144, 163–168, 189–192, 213–220, 238–244. Online. BHL Reference page.

Green Algae

Class Chlorophyceae (Isokontae)
Series Protococcoideae
Series Siphoneae
Series Ulotrichales
Series Ulvales
Class Stephanokontae
Series Oedogoniales
Class Conjugatae
Class Heterokontae
Series Chloromonadales
Series Confervales
Series Vaucheriales
Class Glaucophyceae

Chodat (1902)

Chodat, R. 1902. Algues vertes de la Suisse. Pleurococcoides-Chroolépoides. Matériaux pour la flore cryptogamique suisse, vol. 1, fasc. 3, [4], Biblioteca Digital.

Chlorophyceés

Euchlorophyceés
Conjuguées
Siphonées

A. Pascher's Die Süsswasser-flora Mitteleuropas (1913-1936)

From Die Süsswasser-Flora: Deutschlands, Österreichs und der Schweiz (oder Die Süsswasser-flora Mitteleuropas), [5].

[See Algae]

Chlorophyceae
Volvocales = Phytomonadinae [vol. 4, by Pascher, 1927]
Tetrasporales [vol. 5, by Lemmermann, 1915]
Protococcales [vol. 5, by Brunnthaler, 1915]
Ulotrichales [vol. 6, by Heering, 1914]
Mikrosporales [vol. 6, by Heering, 1914]
Oedogoniales [vol. 6, by Heering, 1914]
Siphonocladiales [vol. 7, by Heering, 1921]
Siphonales [vol. 7, by Heering, 1921]
Desmidiaceae [vol. 8]
Zygnemales [vol. 9, by Borge & Pascher, 1913; 2nd ed. by Czurda, 1932]

Pascher (1914)

Pascher, A. (1914). Über Flagellaten und Algen. Ber. dt. Bot. Ges., 32: 136–160, [6].

Chlorophyta [p. 158]
Chlorophyceae
dikontae-tetrakontae
Volvocales
Tetrasporales
Protococcales
Ulotrichales
Siphonales
Siphonocladiales
Oedogoniales
Conjugatae

Pascher (1931)

Pascher, A. 1931. Systematische Übersicht über die mit Flagellaten in Zusammenhang stehenden Algenreihen und Versuch einer Einreihung dieser Algenstämme in die Stämme des Pflanzenreiches. Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt. Zweite Abteilung 48: 317–332. Biblioteca Digital. Reference page.

Chlorophyta [p. 327]
Chlorophyceae
Volvocineae (Phytomonadineae)
"Rhizopodiale Ausbildungen nicht genügend bekannt"
Tetrasporineae
Protococcineae
Ulotrichineae
Siphonineae
Siphonocladineae
Conjugatae

Fritsch (1935)

Fritsch, F.E. The Structure and Reproduction of the Algae. Vol. I. Introduction, Chlorophyceae. Xanthophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Dinophyceae, Chloromonadineae, Euglenineae, Colourless Flagellata. 1935. From Sharma (1986), [7], [8].

Class Chlorophyceae

Order Volvocales
Order Chlorococcales
Order Ulotrichales
Order Cladophorales
Order Chaetophorales
Order Oedogoniales
Order Conjugales
Order Siphonales
Order Charales

Huber-Pestalozzi's Das Phytoplankton des Süßwassers (1961-1983)

Huber-Pestalozzi, G. (ed.). Das Phytoplankton des Süßwassers. Schweizerbart, Stuttgart, Werke.

[See Algae]

[Theil 5, 1961, von Huber-Pestalozzi:]

XI. Klasse: Chlorophyceae
Order Volvocales
Unterordnung Polyblepharidineae
Unterordnung Chlamydomonadineae
Unterordnung Volvocineae
Ordnung Tetrasporales
Ordnung Chlorococcales (= Protococcales)
Ordnung Ulotrichales
Ordnung Siphonales
Ordnung Siphonocladiales
Ordnung Conjugales (Conjugatae)
Ordnung Charales (Charophyta)

[Teil 6, 1972, von Fott:]

Chlorophyta
1. Klasse: Chlorophyceae
Ordnung Volvocales [Band 5, 1961, von Huber-Pestalozzi]
Ordnung Tetrasporales [Band 6, 1972, von Fott]
Ordnung Chlorococcales [Band 7.1, 1983, von Komarek und Fott]
Ordnung Ulotrichales [Band 7.2, not published]
Ordnung Siphonales
Ordnung Siphonocladales
2. Klasse: Conjugatophyceae [Band 8.1, 1982, von Förster]
Ordnung Mesotaeniales
Ordnung Zygnematales
Ordnung Desmidiales
3. Klasse: Charophyceae
Ordnung Charales

Melkonian in Margulis et al. (1990)

Melkonian, M. 1990. Phylum Chlorophyta: Class Prasinophyceae. In: Margulis, L., Corliss, J.O., Melkonian, M. & Chapman, D.J. (eds) Handbook of Protoctista. , pp. 600–607. Boston: Jones & Bartlett. ISBN 0-86720-052-9. Reference page.

See Brands, S.J. (1989-2015), [9].

Kingdom Protoctista

Section IV: Phyla with flagellated stages and complex sexual cycles
Phylum 32. Chlorophyta
Class Chlorophyceae

The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology.[2] They are usually green due to the dominance of pigments chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The chloroplast may be discoid, plate-like, reticulate, cup-shaped, spiral- or ribbon-shaped in different species. Most of the members have one or more storage bodies called pyrenoids located in the chloroplast. Pyrenoids contain protein besides starch. Some green algae may store food in the form of oil droplets. They usually have a cell wall made up of an inner layer of cellulose and outer layer of pectose.
General characteristics

Depending on the species, Chlorophyceae can grow unicellular (e.g. Chlamydomonas), colonial (e.g. Volvox), filamentous (e.g. Ulothrix), or multicellular.[example needed] They are usually green due to the presence of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b; they can also contain the pigment beta-carotene. There are two clades of Chlorophyceae as defined by the arrangement of their flagella, called CW and DO. Members of the CW clade have flagella that are displaced in a "clockwise" (CW, 1–7 o'clock) direction e.g. Chlamydomonadales. Members of the DO clade have flagella that are "directly opposed" (DO, 12–6 o'clock) e.g. Sphaeropleales.[3]

The chloroplast may be discoid, cup-shaped (e.g. Chlamydomonas), spiral or ribbon shaped.[example needed] Most chlorophytes have one or more storage bodies called pyrenoids (central proteinaceous body covered with a starch sheath) that are localised around the chloroplast. Some algae may also store food in the form of oil droplets. The inner cell wall layer is made of cellulose and the outer layer of pectose.
Reproduction

Chlorophyceae can reproduce both asexually and sexually. Vegetative reproduction usually takes place by fragmentation. Asexual reproduction is by flagellated zoospores. And haplospore, perennation (akinate and palmella stage). Asexual reproduction by mitospore absent in spyrogyra. Also by aplanospores, hypnospores, Palmella stage, etc.

Sexual reproduction shows considerable variation in the type and formation of sex cells and it may be isogamous e.g. Chlamydomonas, Ulothrix, anisogamous e.g. Chlamydomonas, Eudorina or Oogamous e.g. Chlamydomonas, Volvox. Chlamydomonas has all three types of sexual reproduction.

They share many similarities with the higher plants, including the presence of asymmetrical flagellated cells, the breakdown of the nuclear envelope at mitosis, and the presence of phytochromes, flavonoids, and the chemical precursors to the cuticle.[4]

The sole method of reproduction in Chlorella is asexual and azoosporic. The content of the cell divides into 2,4 (B), 8(C) sometimes daughter protoplasts. Each daughter protoplast rounds off to form a non-motile spore. These autospores (spores having the same distinctive shape as the parent cell) are liberated by the rupture of the parent cell wall (D). On release each autospore grows to become a new individual. The presence of sulphur in the culture medium is considered essential for cell division. It takes place even in the dark with sulphur alone as the source material but under light conditions nitrogen also required in addition. Pearsall and Loose (1937)[5] reported the occurrence of motile cells in Chlorella. Bendix (1964)[6] also observed that Chlorella produces motile cells which might be gametes. These observations have an important bearing on the concept of the life cycle of Chlorella, which at present is considered to be strictly asexual in character.

Asexual reproduction in Chlorella ellipsoides has been studied in detail and the following four phases have been observed during the asexual reproduction.

Growth phase - During this phase the cells grow in size by utilizing the photosynthetic products.
Ripening phase - In this phase the cells mature and prepare themselves for division.
Post ripening phase - During this phase, each mature cell divides twice either in dark or in light. The cells formed in dark are known as dark to light phase, cells again grow in size.
Division phase - During this phase the parent cell wall ruptures and unicells are released.

Orders

As of May 2023, AlgaeBase accepted the following orders in the class Chlorophyceae:

Chaetopeltidales C.J.O'Kelly, Shin Watanabe, & G.L.Floyd – 16 species
Chaetophorales Wille – 225 species
Chlamydomonadales F.E.Fritsch (also known as Volvocales) – 1793 species
Oedogoniales Heering – 792 species
Sphaeropleales Luerssen – 941 species

Along with these genera, AlgaeBase recognizes several taxa that are incertae sedis (i.e. unplaced to an order):

Dangeardinellaceae Ettl - 1 species

Other orders that have been recognized include:

Dunaliellales – Dunaliella and Dunaliellaceae are placed in Chlamydomonadales by AlgaeBase[7]
Chlorococcales – Chlorococcum and Chlorococcaceae are placed in Chlamydomonadales by AlgaeBase[8]
Microsporales – Microspora and Microsporaceae are placed in Sphaeropleales by AlgaeBase[9]
Tetrasporales – Tetraspora and Tetrasporaceae are placed in Chlamydomonadales by AlgaeBase[10]

In older classifications, the term Chlorophyceae is sometimes used to apply to all the green algae except the Charales, and the internal division is considerably different.[citation needed]
Diversity of Chlorophyceae

Light micrograph of Chlamydomonas globosa a round green, single cell
Chlamydomonas globosa 400x
Light micrograph of Volvox aureus, a spherical colonial green algae with multiple dense inner colonies
Volvox aureus
Light micrograph of Pediastrum duplex, a star shaped green algae
Pediastrum duplex