Home

Rhodostichus

Generic name: RHODOSTICHUS Geitler et Pascher in Geitler, 1931. Arch. Protistenk. 73: 310.
Synonyms:
Diagnosis:
Type species: Rhodostichus expansus Geitler et Pascher in Geitler 1931.
Descriptions:
Komárek & Anagnostidis (1998): Colonies widely spreading, consisting of one layer of erect, parallely and more or less densely arranged rows of cells, vertically oriented to the substrate and enveloped by common, fine mucilage and indistinct mucilaginous tube-like envelopes; cells in rows, slightly distant from one another, uniseriately organized one after another or (in Short sections) oriented at right angles to the row. Mucilage in the basal parts of colonies more dense than elsewhere (there it forms an irregular net-like structure, seen from above), in the upper parts fine, homogeneous. Cells cylindrical, with rounded poles (never spindle-shaped).
Komárek (1992): Pseudofilamentous - colonial; colonies in form of wide, macroscopic, encrusted layers, dark purple up to reddish black, up. to 50 μm thick, composed from erected, parallely disposed rows of cells enveloped by fine, colourless gelatinous envelopes, only at bases distinctly limited, con- fluent by their sides. Cells rod-like, cylindrical, rounded at the ends, sometimes slightly curved, by their longer axis oriented to the surface of the colony (lying in the "axis of the row of cells), or
secondary perpendicularly to it. Cells with pale pink content, in more layers reddish. The reddish colour of the colony is caused by the colour of cells, not of mucilage.
Genotype differences, molecular data:
Reproduction strategies, life cycles, cell division:
Komárek & Anagnostidis (1998): Cell division transversely to the longitudinal axis, in the same plane in successive generations. Reproduction probably by the liberation of solitary cells. The classification into the Entophysalidaceae or Hydrococcaceae (near Cyanodermatium) is possible, considering the structure of colonies and basal cells (see also Bourrelly 1970).
Komárek (1992): Cells divide only crosswise, perpendicularly to the longer axis, only in one place in consequent generations. Reproduction probably by solitary cells.
Ultrastructure:
Taxonomic position, higher hierarchy:
Cyanophyceae, Chroococcales, Synechococcaceae, Synechococcoideae
Notes to taxonomy, misinterpretations:
Ecology, ecophysiology, ecological significance:
Komárek (1992): Grows epilithic on stones in creeks with streaming water, usually in forest zone, in shaded places; type species described from the Austrian Alps and not yet revised. The second species (unclear) is known only from streams in mountain areas in England.
Physiology and biochemistry:
Distribution, endemism, problematic citations:
Reference strain:
Infrageneric scheme, species concept:
List of species:
Rhodostichus expansus Geitler et Pascher in Geitler 1931
Keys:
List of stains:
Drawings:
Komárek 1992
Application technology:
Literature:

  2.1 taxonomy: Geitler 1931, Geitler 1942, Bourrelly 1970, Bourrelly 1985, Komárek 1992, Komárek &
Anagnostidis 1998
  2.2 cytomorphology:
  2.3 16S rRNA sequencing:
  2.4 biology and life cycles:
  2.5 ecology: