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Chara

Classification

    Phylum:  
Charophyta
    Class:  
Charophyceae
    Order:  
Charales
    Superfamily:  
Unknown
    Family:  
Characeae
    Formal Genus Name and Reference:  
Chara LINNAEUS, 1753, p. 1,156; emend., AGARDH, 1824, p. 27; emend., A. BRAUN, 1849, p. 292
    Type Species:  
C. tomentosa; OD; see also HORN AF RANTZIEN & OLSEN, 1949, p. 99]


Images

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FIG. 64,1a–d. *C. tomentosa L., Holocene, Sweden; a, lateral view; b, apical view; c, basal view, ×44; d, basal plate, ×350 (Soulié-Märsche, 1989, pl. XXI,2,4,5, pl. XV,1).——FIG. 64,1e. C. notata GRAMBAST & PAUL, lower Miocene, France; lateral view, ×80 (Feist & Ringeade, 1977, pl. XII,7).——FIG. 64,1f. C. antennata GRAMBAST, upper Eocene, United Kingdom; lateral view, ×80 (Feist-Castel, 1977a, pl. 22,1).——FIG. 64,1g. C. microcera GRAMBAST & PAUL, upper Oligocene, France; longitudinal section, basal plate upside down, ×70 (Castel, 1967, pl. XXI,13).


Synonyms

Characias, Characella, Charopsis, Characeites, Protochara, Grambastichara, Charites, Amphorochara, Granulachara


Geographic Distribution

worldwide


Age Range

    Beginning Stage in Treatise Usage:  
Upper Cretaceous
    Beginning International Stage:  
Cenomanian
    Fraction Up In Beginning Stage:  
0
    Beginning Date:  
100.5
    Ending Stage in Treatise Usage:  
Holocene
    Ending International Stage:  
Meghalayan
    Fraction Up In Ending Stage:  
0
    Ending Date:  
0


Description

Apex psilocharoid, convex, with cellular apical ends enlarged, generally shaped into a cap without apical nodules; in ornamented species (occurring as fossils) apical tubercles present, similar to those of lateral parts of gyrogonite. General shape of gyrogonite ellipsoid to cylindroid, sometimes very elongated. Basal plate pyramidal, its thickness being more than half of width. Size small to medium. [A great number of species were designated formerly under the name Chara without any real taxonomic significance, meaning roughly Characeae or charophytes.




References



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