The Mesotaeniaceae are a small family of unicellular green algae known as the "saccoderm desmids". The Mesotaeniaceae appear to be sister or ancestral to the Zygnemataceae. The desmids are a deep branching group of Zygnemataceae. Spirotaenia was found to be a basal green alga.
Genera
The Mesotaeniaceae includes the following genera:
- Ancylonema <small>Berggren, 1872</small>
- Cylindrocystis <small>Meneghini ex De Bary, 1858</small>
- Geniculus <small>Prescott, 1967</small>
- Mesotaenium <small>Nägeli, 1849</small>
- Netrium <small>(Nägeli) Itzigsohn & Rothe, 1856</small>
- Nucleotaenium <small>Gontcharov & Melkonian, 2010</small>
- Planotaenium <small>(Ohtani) Petlovany & Palamar-Mordvintseva, 2009</small>
- Roya <small>West & G.S.West, 1896</small>
- Tortitaenia <small>A.J.Brook, 1998</small>
Synonyms:
- Endospira <small>Brébisson</small>, nom. inval., is a synonym of Spirotaenia
- Entospira Kuntze, 1898 is a synonym of Spirotaenia
- Polytaenia <small>A.J.Brook, 1997</small>, nom. illeg., is a synonym of Tortitaenia
References