Cladophora

Scientific name

Cladophora Kützing

Common names

cottonmat algaealgae:
(n) (sing. alga) photosynthetic, eukaryotic, unicellular or complex multicellular organisms, mainly aquatic, lacking true stems, roots, leaves, conducting vessels, and complex sex organs
, green algae

Family

Cladophoraceae

Similar genera

Aegagropila

Native distribution

cosmopolitancosmopolitan:
(adj) essentially worldwide in distribution

Species cultivated

not currently cultivated as an ornamental

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

may be invasive in waterways

Habit

filamentous green alga; free-floating, attached with rhizoidlike filaments, or submerged

Brief description

Forms filamentous sheets, dense cushions, or free-living hollow "balls." Rhizoidal base; uniseriate filaments; branches sparse to profuse. Cells cylindricalcylindrical:
(adj) forming a nearly true cylinder
, uniform, multinucleate. Chloroplasts discoid, typically connect to form a reticulatereticulate:
(adj) in the form of a network; netted (often of leaf veins)
pattern; with pyrenoidspyrenoids:
(n) structure found in chloroplasts of many algae that is possibly involved with starch deposition
. Asexual reproduction by thallusthallus:
(n) a photosynthetic plant body that is not (or apparently not) differentiated into stems, roots, and leaves
fragmentation or 2-4-flagellate zoospores.

Natural habitat

still or flowing water; alkaline, saline, or eutrophic waters

Additional comments

Currently there are 208 accepted species. Many Cladophora species are difficult to differentiate. Additionally, environmental conditions can significantly alter morphology.

Some Cladophora spp. are collected or cultivated for human consumption, typically in Asia.