Franceia

Genus of algae

Franceia

Franceia droescheri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Division:  | Chlorophyta
Class:  | Trebouxiophyceae
Order:  | Chlorellales
Family:  | Oocystaceae
Genus:  | Franceia
Lemmermann
Type species
Franceia ovalis

(Francé) Lemmermann[1]

Franceia is a genus of green algae belonging to the family Oocystaceae.[1] The genus was first described by Ernst Lemmermann in 1898.[1] The genus name of Franceia is in honour of Raoul Heinrich Francé (1874-1943), who was an Austro-Hungarian botanist, microbiologist as well as a natural and cultural philosopher and popularizer of science.[2] The genus is found in freshwater plankton and has a cosmopolitan distribution,[3] but the species are rare and poorly known,[4] and many require revision.[5]

## Description

[edit]

Franceia consists of solitary cells in a thin mucilaginous envelope (rarely two to four cells which are retained within the expanded mother cell wall). Cells are oval to ellipsoid, 3.5–15 μm long, with several spines of variable length distributed irregularly over the cell wall. Young cells contain a single chloroplast, while older cells contain multiple; chloroplasts are parietal, with one often indistinct pyrenoid. Asexual reproduction occurs by the formation of two, four or eight autospores which form inside the mother cell wall.[1]

Distinguishing features of species include the size and shape of cells and the number and length of the bristles.[5]

Species include:

* Franceia armata
* Franceia droescheri

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Franceia Lemmermann, 1898 :: Algaebase". www.algaebase.org. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
2. ^ Burkhardt, Lotte (2022). Eine Enzyklopädie zu eponymischen Pflanzennamen [Encyclopedia of eponymic plant names] (pdf) (in German). Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2022. ISBN 978-3-946292-41-8. S2CID 246307410. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
3. ^ "Franceia Lemmermann, 1898". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
4. ^ Bicudo, Carlos E. M.; Menezes, Mariângela (2006). Gêneros de Algas de Águas Continentais do Brasil: chave para identificação e descrições (2 ed.). RiMa Editora. p. 508\. ISBN 857656064X.
5. ^ a b Komárek, J.; Fott, B. (1983). Chlorophyceae (Grünalgen), Ordnung Chlorococcales. Das Phytoplankton des Süßwassers (in German). E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung. p. 1044.

Taxon identifiers

Franceia|

* Wikidata: Q20895689
* Wikispecies: Franceia
* AlgaeBase: 43433
* GBIF: 2641167
* IRMNG: 1385418
* ITIS: 5958
* NBN: NHMSYS0000602928
* NCBI: 304616
* NZOR: 411e3b4d-d8fc-4f77-b16c-273359ebfd98
* Open Tree of Life: 5152024
* WoRMS: 577837