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Trichosarcina polymorpha
SUMMARY
T r i c h o s a r c i n a polymorpha gen. e t sp. nov. i s newl y described as a m e m b e r of the Ulvales, Schizomeridaceae. The life cycle includes a uniseriate,
Horrnidium-like phase; a p l u r i s e r i a t e stage, and,
finally, a chain o f sarcinoidpackets which m a y d i s sociate. The c e l l s a r e uninucleate, with a parietal
chloroplast and single pyrenoid. Quadriflagellate
z o o s p o r e s a r e produced singly by c e l l s of the pluris e r i a t e and sarcinoid stages. Sexual reproduction
was not observed.
OBSERVATIONS
Inasmuch a s Trichosarcina produces zoospores in
natural habitats and in culture, i t is convenient to describe ontogeny beginning with these agents of asexual
reproduction The individual quadriflagellate zoospores
range from spherical to ovoid (Fig. 1, 19) and a r e
approximately 6 x 4 p. Each has 4 anterior contractile
The alga herein described a s Trichosarcina polymorpha occurs i n shallow, temporary pools in granitic
rocks in Llano County, Texas. It was first encountered
a t Enchanted Rock' in November, 1960, was collected
again in October, 1961 , from the same general area, near
Balanced Ro&, and has been collected several times
since especially during the winter months. These pools
a r e intermittently filled with rain water and harbor
such other aquatics a s Zsoetes melampoda and several
sedges. The pH of the water usually ranges between
6.3 and 6.9. Unialgal cultures, in which the plants
corresponded in all respects to those studied from
natural collections, were isolated by removing single,
pluriseriate branches from the natural collections,
rinsing them in distilled water and inoculating them into
tubes of soil-water medium and Bold's Basalmedium2.
The alga grows luxuriantly in the inorganic medium and
l e s s so in the same medium with agar and in media
with soil-extracts. Unialgal and axenic cultures were
. .lO.Og
. . . 1.Og
. . 3.0g
NaN4
... ..
CaC1,.ZH20. . .
MgS0+.7H20.. . .
. . . , - . . . .3.Og
. . . . . . . . .7.Og
. . . . . . . . . .l.Og
&HPO,
KH2PO+
NaCl .
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0
3
10
35
37
DISCUSSION
After search of the literature, discussion with several
phycologists, and appraisal of the attributes ofthe organism herein described. the authors were impelled to
assign it to a new taxon, Trichosarcina. Pluriseriate,
zoosporiferous Chlorophyceae a r e unknown, except i n the
Ulvales and Chaetophorales. One immediately recalls
such genera a s P e r c u r s a r i a , the early stages of
Ulva and Enteromorpha, and especially, S c h i z o m e r i s
and F r i t s c h i e l l a , a s examples of the pluriseriate
condition.
T r i c h o s a r c i n a is, perhaps, most like S c h i z o m e r i s
and the terrestrial F r i t s c h i e l l a but differs from the
former in lacking ring-like wall thickenings, in having
cells with a single pyrenoid, and in i t s characteristic
Sarcina-like configuration and dissociation of the latter
into packets, which suggest strikinglythe chlorosphaeracean genus, C h l o r o s a r c i n o p s i s (6, 1). It is unlike
F r i t s c h i e l l a in habitat and in lack of branching and
differentiation into prostrate and aerial branches. Furthermore, unlike other algae in Trichosarcina, termination of increase in plant length at the onset of the
pluriseriate condition and restriction of zoosporogenesis
to the sarcinoid phase emphasize that the latter i s a
stage in maturation and completion of ontogeny.
Three possibilities occurred to the writers regarding
the affinities of the genus T r i c h o s a r c i n a r (1 ) It might
be considered a s a member of the Schizomeridaceae;
( 2 ) It might be assigned to the Ulvaceae; or, (3) It
might be classified in a new family of its own.
The writers, at present, prefer the first alternative.
The affinities of T r i c h o s a r c i n a a r e probably with the
filamentous Ulotrichales and the Chlorosphaerales both
of which undergo true vegetative (5, 6, 4) or parechymatous cell division which is lacking in the Volvacales,
Tetrasporales and Chlorococcales.
The new organism is described as follows:
T r i c h o s a r c i n a polymorpha gen. et sp. nov.
Plantae in tribus formis sequentialiter affinibus repertae; primum filamento uniseriato Hormidio simili;
deinde filamento pluriseriato; demum catena fasciculorum. Plantae conditionibus novioribus affixae, postea per
fragmentationem libere fluitantes. Cellulae uninucleatae,
chloroplasto parietali unicum pyrenoideum continente
praedito.
Reprcductio per fragmentationem fasciculorum s a r cinoideorum atque per zoosporas in conditionibus pluriseriatis sarcinoideisque effectas; zoosporae una unaquaque in cellula, sphericales ad ovatas (6 x 4 p),
REFERENCES
1. Arce, G., & Bold, H. C. 1958. Some Chlorophyceae from
Cuban Soils. Amer. Jour. Bot. 45,492-503.
2. Bischoff. H. W. 1963. Phycological Studies. I . The Soil
flora of Enchanted Rock. PhD. Cissertation. The University of
Texas.
3. Bischoff, H. W.. & Bold, H. C. 1963. Phycological Studies.
I V. Some soil algae from Enchanted Rock and related algal
species. Univ. Texas Publ. No. 6318.
4. Deason, T. R., & Bold, H. C. 1960. Phycological Studies.
I . Exploratory studies of Texas soil algae. Univ. Texas Publ.
No. 6022.
5. Fritsch. F. E. 1935. The structure and reproductionof the
algae. I . Univ. P r e s s , Cambridge.
6. Herndon, W. R. 1958. Studies on Chlorosphaeracean algae
from soil. Amer. Jour. Bot. 45,298-308.
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