Asterocapsa
| Generic name: ASTEROCAPSA Chu,1952. Ohio J. Sci. 52: (2): 97. | ||||||||||
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| Type species: Asterocapsa gleotheceformis Chu, 1952. - little known genus, needs revision. |
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| Description: Komárek et Anagnostidis (1998):Cells solitary, in few-celled groups or in more or less spherical, microscopic colonies, forming granular mats. Cells or their groups enveloped by distinct, delimited, usually firm sheaths, which are colourless or coloured by sheath pigments (reddish, yellow, etc.), and covered by irregularly, but evenly distributed, conical or rounded wart-like processes and forming granular or spiny surface of their colonies. Cells subspherical, oval or irregular in outline, sometimes slightly elongated or polygonal-rounded. Common envelopes thin or thick, with the surface covered by minute or stout, wart-like projections of different length. Komárek (1992): Unicellular - colonial; colonies more or less spherical, in irregular agglomerations which form grumose, gelatinous, reddish, olive-green, yellow to golden yellow or brown, or light bluish mass, later macroscopic; colonial envelopes thick, stiff, with confluent layers at the margin, colourless, yellow or pink, up to yellowish brown or dark brown; surface of gelatinous envelopes both of individual cells and colonies covered by minute or stout wart-like projections of different length; cells enclosed in the thick-sheathed own envelopes, lamellated or not, not confluent. Cells spherical, oblong or more or less irregular, enclosed in 2-4-8-16 in one special colony; cell content homogeneous or finely granular, without aerotopes, olive green, bright blue-green or brownish green. |
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| Genotype differences, molecular data: | ||||||||||
| Reproduction strategies, life cycles, cell division: Komárek et Anagnostidis (1998): Cells divide by irregular binary fission within their sheaths, in different planes in successive generations; the divided cells are liberated occasionally from splits in the firm envelopes. Within the genus were recognized three types of life cycle (probably on a subgenus or genus level); (i) Cells solitary or in small, 2-4- to few- celled colonies, enveloped only by firm sheath, which splits after cell division. (ii) Cells form many-celled clusters, enveloped by firm, more or less spherical and, on the surface, spiny sheaths; within colonies sometimes with nanocyte-like cell division; the large colonies gelatinize or disintegrate, and daughter cells are liberated with their own spiny sheaths. (iii) Irregular-shaped cells, enclosed in spiny sheaths, are localized in an amorphous gelatinous mass. Komárek (1992):Cell division by irregular binary fission within sheaths, "in two or three planes" (after Chu, 1952), multiplication by "vegetative division", liberation of cells from envelopes, or by fragmentation of a colony. "Aplanospores present" (Chu, 1952). |
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| Ultrastructure: | ||||||||||
| Taxonomic position, higher hierarchy: Cyanophyceae, Chroococcales, Chroococcaceae Notes to taxonomy, misinterpretations: |
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| Ecology, ecophysiology, ecological significance: Komárek (1992):All species subaerophytic, known from wet rocks in China (Szechwan, Anhui), Nepal and India (the Himalayas), Japan and probably also from central America. genus, several species could be possibly the status resting of Gloeocapsa or Gloeocapsopsis (comp. also the genus Endospora). If the genus is definable, it comprises probably more species occurring mainly in aerophytic localities in SE Asia. |
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| Physiology and biochemistry: |
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| Distribution, endemism, problematic citations: |
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| Reference strain: |
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| Infrageneric scheme, species concept: |
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| List of species: Asterocapsa aerophytica Lederer Asterocapsa atrata Liang 1987 Asterocapsa belizensis Komárek et Komárková-Legnerová 2006 Asterocapsa changbaishanensis Wang 1985 Asterocapsa divina Komárek 1993 Asterocapsa fujianica Liang 1987 Asterocapsa gleotheceformis Chu 1952 Asterocapsa heterospinosa H.X. Xiao et L.G.Cai 2001. Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 39(1): 92 Asterocapsa hyalina Chu 1958 Asterocapsa jilinica H.X. Xiao 2000 Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 38(4): 398 Asterocapsa longipapilla Liu 1985 Asterocapsa magnifica (Gardner) Komárek 1993 Asterocapsa masayuki-watenabei Komárek 1993 Asterocapsa nidulans (Gardner) Komárek et Komárková-Legnerová 2006 Asterocapsa ocellata H.X. Xiao 2000 Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 38(4): 399 Asterocapsa pulchra (Gardner) Komárek 1993 Asterocapsa purpurea (Jao) Chu 1952 Asterocapsa rubra Wang 1986 Asterocapsa rupivolcanica H.X. Xiao 2001 Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 39(1): 94 Asterocapsa sinica Liang et Chen 1985 Asterocapsa spinulosa Lin et Xiao 2004 Asterocapsa stagnina Komárek et Komárková-Legnerová 2006 Asterocapsa submersa Azevedo et al. 2003 Asterocapsa trochiscioides (Jao) Chu1952 Asterocapsa vadia Komárek 1993 Unclear taxa: |
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Drawings: Komárek (1992)
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Literature:
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