Gloeothece endochromatica N.L.Gardner

  • Authority

    Gardner, Nathaniel L. 1927. New Myxophyceae from Porto Rico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 7: 1-144. pl. 1-23.

  • Family

    Cyanobacteriaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Gloeothece endochromatica N.L.Gardner

  • Description

    Species Description - Colonies very small, 15-25 µ diam., containing 16-32 or more cells, spherical to more or less lobed; cells 0.9 to 1.2 µ diam., 1.5-2 times as long as the diam., pale aeruginous to yellowish green; colonial tegument hyaline or slightly opalescent; single cells, or groups of 2 or more, surrounded by a relatively firm, very distinctly delimited, thick, dark-violet tegument, but not lamellose; as the cells become aged the color disappears in part.

    Distribution and Ecology - Growing among other species of Myxophyceae on limestone, between Arecibo and Utuado, no. 1465 a, type.

  • Discussion

    The above-described species of Gloeothece structurally is on the border between the genera Anacystis and Gloeothece. The special or individual teguments appear to be fused with the general colonial tegument at times, as it does in some species of Anacystis but apparently no resting spores are produced, at least none could be found in the material under the stage of development in which it was found. It is also very closely related to certain species of Gloeocapsa of the Cyanocapsa section, but the presence of cylindrical cells which seem to divide in but one plane and then rotate within the colony before the next division would ally it with the genus Gloeothece.