Algal factsheet: Pediastrum (Hydrodictyaceae)
Diagnostic features
Colonial chlorophytes with flattened, squarish or H- or X-shaped cells linked together in concentric rings to form disc-like colonies. The outermost X-shaped cells give the disc a spiky outline. Chloroplasts green, netlike, each containing one large pyrenoid. Pediastrum was recently separated into several genera, but the differences between these are subtle.Typical habitats
Found in the plankton of nutrient-rich lakes and ponds. Often abundant in sewage ponds, particularly during spring and summer.Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chlorophyta |
| Class | Chlorophyceae |
| Order | Chlamydomonadales |
| Family | Hydrodictyaceae |
| Common name | Green algae |