Prasiola crispa

Prasiola crispa
	Prasiola crispa found in central Queen Maud Land, Antarctica
Scientific classification
Clade:	Viridiplantae
Division:	Chlorophyta
Class:	Trebouxiophyceae
Order:	Prasiolales
Family:	Prasiolaceae
Genus:	Prasiola
Species:	P. crispa
Binomial name
	Prasiola crispa; (Lightfoot) Kützing 1843
Synonyms
	List Ulva crispaLightfoot 1777; Ulva terrestris Roth 1797; Schizogonium crispatum Kützing 1843; Schizogonium parietinum Kützing 1843; Hormidium parietinum (Kützing) Kützing 1845; Prasiola rothii Kützing 1845; Prasiola orbicularis Kützing 1845; Prasiola antarctica Kützing 1849; Schizogonium laetevirens var. crispatum (Kützing) Kützing 1849; Prasiola rothii var. falklandica Kützing 1849; Prasiola falklandica (Kützing) Kützing 1855; Prasiola georgica Reinsch 1890; Prasiola crispa subsp. terrestris Børgesen 1902; Prasiola crispa var. aspera West & G.S.West 1911; Prasiola crispa subsp. antarctica (Kützing) Knebel 1935; Mastodia antarctica (Kützing) C.W.Dodge 1948; ;

Prasiola crispa is a small terrestrial green alga. It has been recorded world-wide mostly from cold-temperate to polar regions.

Taxonomy

The species, first described as Ulva crispa Lightfoot, is the type of the genus Prasiola.^[1] A lectotype was nominated for the species, the type location of which was provided in accompanying notation as walls that faced north and were favoured as urinals.^[1]

The specific epithet is said to translate as "crisped", a reference to the irregular convolutions of the species.^[1]

Description

This is a small green alga growing to about 6 cm long. The frond is round in shape, flattened. Generally one cell thick, the cells are arranged in rows or in groups of four.^[2]^[3]

It seems to be an important food source for Antarctic collembolans.^[4]^: 272

The species has been used a model for the study of the effects of high intensities of UV radiation on photosynthesis.^[4]^: 181

Reproduction

Reproduction is by akinetes and aplanospores.^[2]

Distribution

Recorded world-wide mostly from cold-temperate to polar regions,^[1] e.g. from Iceland,^[5] the British Isles including the Isle of Man, New Zealand, Japan and the Pacific shores of North America.^[1]^[2] In Antarctica, the species lives near penguin colonies.^[4]^: 593

Conservation status

In Iceland, it is red listed as a vulnerable species (VU).^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Prasiola crispa (Lightfoot) Kützing :: Algaebase". www.algaebase.org. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c Burrows. E.M.1991. Seaweeds of the British Isles Volume 2 Chlorophyta. Natural History Museum Publications ISBN 0-565-00981-8
^ Bunker, F.StP.D., Brodie, J.A., Maggs, C.A. and Bunker, A.R.2017. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. Second Edition. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, UK.ISBN 978-0-9955673-3-7
^ ^a ^b ^c Seckbach, Joseph (2007-09-18). Algae and Cyanobacteria in Extreme Environments. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4020-6112-7.
^ ^a ^b Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands [Icelandic Institute of Natural History] (1996). Válisti 1: Plöntur. (in Icelandic) Reykjavík: Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands.

[algaebase-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Prasiola crispa (Lightfoot) Kützing :: Algaebase". www.algaebase.org. Retrieved 24 May 2019.

[Burrows-2] Burrows. E.M.1991. Seaweeds of the British Isles Volume 2 Chlorophyta. Natural History Museum Publications ISBN 0-565-00981-8

[Bunker-3] Bunker, F.StP.D., Brodie, J.A., Maggs, C.A. and Bunker, A.R.2017. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. Second Edition. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, UK.ISBN 978-0-9955673-3-7

[:0-4] Seckbach, Joseph (2007-09-18). Algae and Cyanobacteria in Extreme Environments. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4020-6112-7.

[NÍ1996-5] Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands [Icelandic Institute of Natural History] (1996). Válisti 1: Plöntur. (in Icelandic) Reykjavík: Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands.

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