Melosira
Agardh 1824 Category: Centric
TYPE SPECIES: Melosira nummuloides Agardh
Image Credit: Marina Potapova, Sarah Spaulding
CLASS: Coscinodiscophyceae
ORDER: Thalassiosirales
FAMILY: Melosiraceae
- Valve wall uniform in structure, little external ornamentation
- Frustules lack costae, septae, and spines
- Frustules may form colonies
Melosira valves have little ornamentation. They lack distinctive features including costae, septae, and spines. Frustules form long colonies linked at the valve face.
Melosira contains a small number of freshwater species. M. varians, one of the most common species of the genus grows in benthic habitats of eutrophic streams and lakes. Melosira also contains the species M. undulata, which grows in large, oliogotrophic lakes of western North America as well as dystrophic rivers.
Cite This Page:
Spaulding, S., and Edlund, M. (2009). Melosira. In Diatoms of the United States. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/taxa/genus/Melosira
Contributor: Sarah Spaulding | Mark Edlund - January 2009
Reviewer: Sam Rushforth
Citations
Crawford, R.M. (1974). The fine structure of the frustule of Melosira varians C.A. Agardh. British Phycolocial Journal 6: 175-186.
Huber-Pestalozzi, G. (1942). Das Phytoplankton des Susswasers. Systematik und Biologie. In Die Binnengewasser, A. Thienemann (ed.) 16: 367-549. E Schweizerbart'sche Verlag. Stuttgart, Germany.
Hustedt, F. (1930). Die Kieselalgen Deutschlands, Osterreichs und der Schweiz mit Berucksichtigung der ubrigen Lander Europas sowie der angrenzenden Meersgebiete. In: Dr. L. Rabenhorst's Kryptogamen-Flora von Deutschland, Osterreich und der Schweiz. Leipzig, Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft Geest und Portig K.-G. Vol. 7, Part 3, pp. 557-816.