Nitella flexilis

Nitella flexilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Charophyta
Class:	Charophyceae
Order:	Charales
Family:	Characeae
Genus:	Nitella
Species:	N. flexilis
Binomial name
Nitella flexilis (L.) C.Agardh[1]

Nitella flexilis is a freshwater^[2] species of characean algae that is used as a model organism for its large cell size and relative ease of cultivation in the laboratory.

Description

A robust species growing up to a meter long with axes up to 1mm wide. Branches in whorls once or twice divided.^[3]

Distribution

The species has been recorded from several counties in Ireland. From the Eglinton Canal in Galway;^[4]and in Counties Down and Londonderry;^[5]River Dorree in Clare Island Co. Mayo 2004.^[6]

References

1. ^ Straminipilous Fungi: Systematics of the Peronosporomycetes, Including Sccounts of the Marine Dtraminipilous ProtIsts, the Plasmodiophorids, and Similar Organisms. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001. ISBN 0-7923-6780-4. 
2. ^ "Nitella flexilis (Linnaeus) C. Agardh". http://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=27202. Retrieved 11 January 2010. 
3. ^ Ed. Guiry, M.D., John, D.M., Rindi, F. and McCarthy, T.K. 2007. New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 6: The Freshwater and Terrestrial Algae. Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 13: 978-1-904890-31-7
4. ^ Pybus, C. and O'Halloran. P. 2009. Distribution of some submerged aquatic macrophytes in the Eglinton Canal, Galway, Ir. Nat. J. 30: 51 - 53
5. ^ Morton, O. in Hackney, P. 1992. The Flora of the North-east of Ireland. Institute of Irish Studies and The Queen's University Belfast. ISBN 0 85389 446 9
6. ^ Ed. Guiry, M.D., John, D.M., Rindi, F. and McCarthy, T.K. 2007. New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 6: The Freshwater and Terrestrial Algae. Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 13: 978-1-904890-31-7