Specimen #5: Haematococcus

Name:  Haematococcus pluvaialis

Family: Haematoccoceae

Collection Date:  October 10, 2011

Location: South Russel, Ohio

Collector: Willa Schrlau

Key Used:

Prescott, G. W. (1978). How to Know the Freshwater Algae . Boston : WCB McGraw-Hill .

Pictured Key to the Common Genera of Freshwater Algae

1b. Plants microscopic, or if macroscopic with cellular structures and branches not clearly visible to the unaided eye; without whorls of branches clearly visible … 4

4a. Cells containing chloroplast with green predominating; or with other pigments predominating: yellow-green, golden-yellow, brownish, reddish or bluish-green … 5

5b. Plants not grass-green or gray-green, but yellowish-green, apple-green, or golden-yellow; or reddish either because of a chloroplast pigment, or haematochrome (carotenoid pigments); or rarely chloroplast with a bluish tinge … 6

6a. Plants reddish with phycoerythrin, or orange-red with carotenoid pigments which partly or completely mask the green of the chloroplast …. 7

7b. Plants solitary cells, or forming colonies invested by a common mucilage … 11

11b. Plants uniceller or incidentally clustered and gregarious, not enclosed in a gelatinous matrix … 16

16b. Cells predominantly non-motile, often encysted and stationary. Sometimes individuals emerge from the encysted condition and become motile in the same habitat … 21

21b. Cells otherwise … 22

22b. Cells otherwise … 23

23b. Cells otherwise … 24

24b. Plants inhabiting rock pools and cemented basins; cells relatively large (up to 50µm diam.), smooth-walled … Haematococcus

Description: 

"The fresh-water unicellular alga H. pluvialis Flotow (Volvocales) occurs primarily in temporary, small fresh water pools (Droop 1954;Czygan 1970). In its growth stages, it has both motile and non-motile forms. In the former, a pear-shaped cell ranges from 8 to 50 μm in diameter. The cellular structure of this stage is similar to most of its family members: a cup-shaped chloroplast with numerous and scattered pyrenoids, contractile vacuoles which are often numerous and apparently quite irregularly distributed near the surface of the protoplast, a nucleus and 2 flagella of equal length emerging from the anterior papilla which perforate the cellulose wall at a wide angle. The structure's uniqueness is marked by its cell wall which is strongly thickened, gelatinous, and is usually connected to its protoplast by simple or branched strands.

In its non-motile form, the so-called ‘palmella’ stage, the spherical protoplast is enveloped within a closely adherent palmella membrane, and, with the exception of the flagella, the cellular structure remains the same as its motile form. Once growing conditions become unfavorable, cells increase their volume drastically and enter a resting stage in which the cell is surrounded by a heavy resistant cellulose wall, comprised in part by sporopolinine-like substances (S. Boussiba, unpublished). This overall process is termed ‘encystment’. The protoplast is then a markedly red color, determined to be a secondary carotenoid, astaxanthin (Goodwin and Jamikorn 1954)."

Links: 

http://www.algatech.com/astax.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12804020

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1399-3054.2000.108002111.x/full

References: 

Goodwin TW, Jamikorn M (1954) Studies in Carotenogenesis 11. Carotenoid synthesis in the alga Haematococcus pluvialis.Biochem J 57: 376–381.

Prescott, G. W. (1978). How to Know the Freshwater Algae . Boston : WCB McGraw-Hill .

Figure 1: A) Haematoccus pluvailis grouped together B) H. pluvalis close up, one cell

Specimen #4: Bladder Wrack

Name:  Fucus vesiculosus,  Linnaeus – Bladder Wrack

Family:  Fucaceae

Collection Date: 15 September 2011 

Location: Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts 

Collector: Dr. Matthew Hils

Key Used: Taylor, W. R. (1957). Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America . Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan .

Key to the Orders of the Marine Algae

1. Chlorophyll masked by accessory pigments … 3

3. Accessory pigments imparting a brown color; reproduction at some stage typically involving flagellate cells … 10

10. If filamentous, not polysiphonous, though often pluriseriate … 12

12. Massive, cylindrical, or phylloid, or slender but pluriseriate, or reduced types … 13

13. Filamentous structure lacking, obscured, or only shown in evanescent plant parts … 14

14. Sporophyte lacking free assimilators … 15

15. Gametophyte reduced to cytological phases; sporophyte massive and branched … Fucales p. 188

Key to Families

1.  Axes subterete, to alate with a midrib, but not foliar; vesicles if present intercalary … Fucaceae, p. 189

Key to Genera

1.  Branches strap-shapes at least above, with a thickened midrib … Fucus, p. 189

Key to Species

1. Margin not serrate, though often frayed … 2

2. Plants larger, regulary exceeding 15 cm … 4

4. Receptacles swollen … 6

6. Receptacles not ridged, though sometimes the margin angled when young; blades with usually paired vesicles; sexes in different plants …. F. vesiculosus, p. 192 

Description:

“Plants often large, generally 3-9 dm. tall, attached by an irregular, lobed holdfast; branching usually dichotomous or a little irregular, often proliferous below, the branches above strap-shaped, about 10-15 mm. wide, with a marked midrib throughout, but below denuded of the thin margins; scattered cryptostomata and vesicles each side of the midrib, or three together at a fork; receptacles terminal on the branches, single, paried, or forked, broadly lanceolate to obovate, usually 1.5-2.5 cm. long; sexes in different individuals, the antheridial conceptacles orange when the receptacles are opened, while the oogonial conceptacles are olive-green” (Taylor, 1957).

Links: 

http://www.rxlist.com/bladderwrack/supplements.htm

http://www.puritan.com/vf/healthnotes/hn_live/Herb/Bladderwrack.htm

Figure 1: Fucus vesiculosus, otherwise known as Bladder Wrack

References:

Taylor, W. R. (1957). Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America . Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan .

Specimen #3: Punctaria plantaginea

Name:  Punctaria plantaginea

Family:  Chordariaceae

Collection Date: 15 September 2011 

Location: Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts 

Collector: Dr. Matthew Hils

Key Used: Dawson, E.Y. (1956). How to Know the Seaweeds. Dubuque: WM. C. Brown Company Publishers.

Pictured-Key to the Common Genera of Macroscopic Marine Algae of the United States

1b. Thallus consisting of more than one cell, or if coenocytic, at least not sub spherical in form … 2

2b. Thallus not calcareous … 3

3b. Thallus without hollow structures or parts (except sometimes the coarse stipe, as in Postelsia) … 4

4b. Thallus not crustose or net-like, free except for one or more basal attachments … 5

5b. Thallus of various form and structure, but consisting neither of one or more branches or unbranched uniseriate filaments, nor of a branches, free, essentially cylindrical filament without cellular septations … 6

6b. Thallus cylindrical or flattened; if membranous, with more than two layers of cells at the margins … 7

7a. Vegetative portions of thallus dominantly compressed, flattened, or complanate … 125

125b. Thallus without a midrib, median stripe or veins … 143

143b. Blade not saucer-shaped … 144

144b. Thallus simple or variously branched; if simple and broadly expanded, at least not fan-shaped; if branched and dichotomous or subdichotomous, any resulting fan-like form arises from the branching; color brownish, greenish, or reddish …147

147a. Plants essentially simple, consisting of one or more entire or lobed blades; branching mainly restricted to basal region although sometimes the blades proliferous from the flattened surfaces (Caulerpa), or from the margins (Gigartina; Grateloupis) … 148

148b. Holdfasts simple and discoid, or of coarse hapteres, without penetrating rhizoids … 149

149b. Blades estipitate, or form a very short stipe … 151

151b. Surface of blades smooth … 152

152a. Thallus dark brown or yellowish-brown (as opposed to reddish, purplish or greenish) … 153

153b. Thallus thin, of few cell layers, the surface cells little different from those of the inner layers … Punctaria

Description:

“Plants in the form of broadly lanceolate blades arising from small basal disks, the stalks short, the blades with tapered bases, obovate-lanceolate, often mechanically split or truncate toward the tip, in length usually less than 2 dm., but to 6.5 dm., flat or very little undulate at the margin; texture somewhat firm, ever coriaceous, 4-7 cells and 110-225 µ thick, cell membranes rather heavy, surface cells 15-40 µ diam.; plurilocular gametangia somewhat increasing the thickness of the thallus, to as much as 50 percent, their lower parts sunken in the surface layer, oblong or obovoid, 30-48 µ long, 20-34 µ diam.; unilocular sporangia (?) nearly globose, 32-48 µ diam” (Taylor, 1957).

Links: 

http://www.phycologia.org/doi/abs/10.2216/i0031-8884-19-4-266.1

References:

Dawson, E. Y. (1956). How to Know the Seaweeds . Dubuque: WM. C. Brown Company Publishers .

Taylor, W. R. (1957). Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America . Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan .



Figure 1: Close up of Punctaria plantaginea 

Specimen #2: Fucus gardneri

Name:  Fucus gardneri silva (Formerlly Fucus evanescens)

Family:  Fucaceae

Collection Date: 15 September 2011 

Location: Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts 

Collector: Dr. Matthew Hils

Key Used: Taylor, W. R. (1957). Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America . Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan .

Key to the Orders of the Marine Algae

1. Chlorophyll masked by accessory pigments … 3

3. Accessory pigments imparting a brown color; reproduction at some stage typically involving flagellate cells … 10

10. If filamentous, not polysiphonous, though often pluriseriate … 12

12. Massive, cylindrical, or phylloid, or slender but pluriseriate, or reduced types … 13

13. Filamentous structure lacking, obscured, or only shown in evanescent plant parts … 14

14. Sporophyte lacking free assimilators … 15

15. Gametophyte reduced to cytological phases; sporophyte massive and branched … Fucales p. 188

Key to Families

1.  Axes subterete, to alate with a midrib, but not foliar; vesicles if present intercalary … Fucaceae, p. 189

Key to Genera

1.  Branches strap-shaped at least above, with a thickened midrib … Fucus, p. 189

Key to Species

1.  Margin not serrate, though often frayed … 2

2. Plants larger, regulary exceeding 15 cm … 4

4. Receptacles compressed … 5

5. Receptacles 1-2 as long as broad, blunt, the edges acute, often ridged or winged … F. evanescens, p. 193

Description:
“Plants, large, 2-6 dm. tall, the basal disks round-concial, branching widely dichotomous or alternate, the fronds markedly tending to spread in a plane, the blades wide, 1-2cm. broad, evesiculate, the cryptostomata obvious; costate in the middle portions of the plant with broad membranous margins, the midrib disappearing above, but strong and often denuded below; receptacles flat, simple or forked, broad and short, 1.5-2.0 cm. wide, 2-4 cm. long, obtuse or slightly dentate, the apex often ridged or winged, sharply demarcate from the sterile blade."

Links:

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/guide/brown38.html

Figure 1: Fucus gardneri close up 

Figure 2: Another view of F. gardneri 

References: 

Taylor, W. R. (1957). Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America . Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan .

Specimen #1: Knotted Wrack

Name:  Ascophyllum nodosum, (Linnaeus) Le Jolis – Knotted Wrack

Family:  Fucaceae

Collection Date: 15 September 2011 

Location: Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts 

Collector: Dr. Matthew Hils

Key Used: Taylor, W. R. (1957). Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America . Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan .

Key to the Orders of the Marine Algae

1. Chlorophyll masked by accessory pigments … 3

3. Accessory pigments imparting a brown color; reproduction at some stage typically involving flagellate cells … 10

10. If filamentous, not polysiphonous, though often pluriseriate … 12

12. Massive, cylindrical, or phylloid, or slender but pluriseriate, or reduced types … 13

13. Filamentous structure lacking, obscured, or only shown in evanescent plant parts…14

14. Sporophyte lacking free assimilators … 15

15. Gametophyte reduced to cytological phases; sporophyte massive and branched … Fucales p. 188

Key to Families

1.  Axes subterete, to alate with a midrib, but not foliar; vesicles if present intercalary … Fucaceae, p. 189

Key to Genera

1. Branches at most compressed, but not differentiated into midrib and blade … Ascophyllum, p. 195

Key to Species

1.  Plants erect, axes distinct, vesicles present; receptacles oval, short … A. nodosum, p. 195 

Description:

“Ascophyllum nodosum has long fronds with large egg-shaped air-bladders set in series at regular intervals in the fronds and not stalked. The fronds can reach 2 m in length and are attached by a holdfast to rocks and boulders. The fronds are olive-brown in color and somewhat compressed but without a mid-rib.” (Taylor, 1957)

Figure 1: Up close of A. nodosum 

Figure 2: Ascophyllum nodosum

Links: 

http://www.clarku.edu/departments/biology/biol201/2004/khartman/Ascophyllum%20project/Ascophyllum%20ecology.cfm

References:

S. Hiscock (1979). "A field key to the British brown seaweeds (Heterokontophyta)". Field Studies 5: 1–44.

Taylor, W. R. (1957). Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America . Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan .