Salient features of Charophyta

Division - Charophyta:-

Salient Features:-

> The plant body is macroscopic and resembles those of Arthrophyta.

> The plant body is differentiated into nodes and internodes. The nodes bear whorls of branches of limited growth are present that resemble the leaves of angiospermic plants.

> The development of plant body is from a single apical cell.

> The cells are prokaryotic, long, uninucleate, contain discoid chloroplasts, and are bounded by cellulosic cell wall.

> The protoplasm shows a rapid streaming movement parallel to the long axis of the cell.

> A prominent large central vacuole occupies the center of the internodal cells, therefore, the cytoplasm is peripheral.

> The nucleus occupies center of the cell.

> The reproduction in Charophyta is vegetative and sexual.

> The vegetative reproduction is by:-

i. Amylum Stars:- These are star-shaped aggregates of cell developed from the lower nodes. They are densely filled with starch.

ii. Bulbils:- These are bodies with food stored in them called that develop upon rhizoids.

iii. Protonema:- The Protonema like outgrowths that develop from the nodes.

> The sexual reproduction is strictly oogamous and the gametes are produced in specialized complex structures, the globules (antheridium) and nucules (oogonium).

Classification:-

Class:- Charophyceae

Order:- Charales

Family:- Characeae

So far 7 living genera with about 294 species have been recorded. These are:

i. Chara (27 species)

ii. Tolypella (3 species)

iii. Nitella (37 species)

iv. Nitellopsis (a single species)

v. Lychnothaminus (a single species)

vi. Lamprothamnium

vii. Protochara