Botryococcaceae is a family of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae.See the NCBI webpage on Botryococcaceae. Data extracted from the
Traditionally, Botryococcaceae has been defined on morphological grounds. Members of this family consist of irregular colonies of cells found free-floating or attached to a substrate. Cells are united by mucilaginous stalks that are formed by the gelatinization of the old parent cell walls. Cells may be spherical, ellipsoidal, or ovoid with a chloroplast with or without a pyrenoid. Reproduction occurs exclusively asexually by the formation of autospores. However, molecular phylogenetic studies have found that some genera placed in Botryococcaceae based on morphology alone are unrelated to Botryococcus; the genus Dictyosphaerium is now placed in the family Chlorellaceae.
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