Brevisira
Krammer 2001 Category: Centric
TYPE SPECIES: Brevisira arentii Krammer
CLASS: Coscinodiscophyceae
ORDER: Melosirales
FAMILY: Melosiraceae
- Valve face with central areolate area surrounded by radiating striae
- Rimoportulae or fultoportulae absent
- Valve margins with small, tapered spines
Brevisira is a centric diatom, with central areolae surrounded by radiating striae on the valve face. In contrast to many centric genera, Brevisira lacks both rimoportulae and fultoportulae. The frustules of Brevisira are small, with small tapered spines on the valve margins. Within a single frustule, one valve face may be concave, while the other is convex. The valve mantle is also ornamented with areolae. Living cells form loose colonies, linked by the small, marginal spines.
As compared to the genus Orthoseira, Brevisira lacks unique processes, rimoportulae and fultoportulae. Currently, the genus is monotypic containing only B. arentii. This species is reported to be widespread in dystrophic waters in the eastern US and in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, New Zealand and Chile.
Cite This Page:
Spaulding, S., and Edlund, M. (2009). Brevisira. In Diatoms of the United States. Retrieved May 18, 2013, from http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/taxa/genus/Brevisira
Contributor: Sarah Spaulding | Mark Edlund - January 2009
Reviewer: Sam Rushforth
Citations
Krammer, K. (2001). Taxonomie und Morphologie von Brevisira arentii (Kolbe) Krammer gen. nov., comb. nov. In: Jahn, R., Kociolek, J.P., Witkowski, A & Compère, P. (eds), Lange-Bertalot-Festschrift: Studies on Diatoms. Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Horst Lange-Bertalot on the occassion of his 65th Birthday. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag. K.G. pp. 9-20.