Rhodophyta [audio pronunciation]

Common name

Red algae

Synonyms

None

Mode of nutrition

Autotrophic: red chloroplasts

Habitat

Marine, freshwater

Growth habit

Multicellular: filamentous or plectenchyma; multicellular crusts and films, rarely unicellular.

Cell wall

Cellulose, galactans such as agar and carragheenan

Undulipodia (“flagella”)

None (no basal bodies)

Food storage

Floridean starch

Clonal reproduction

aplanospores

Sexual reproduction

Isomorphic alternation of generations with interpolated carposporophyte phase, oogamous

Representative genera

Chondrus, Corallina, Polysiphonia, Porphyra

Recognized by

Red plants; no flagella; cystocarps; teteraspores

jcclark@csupomona.edu
© 2002 by Curtis Clark