Spirogyra
Spirogyra is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae of the order Zygnematales, named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is characteristic of the genus. Spirogyra species, of which there are more than 500, are commonly found in freshwater habitats. Spirogyra measures approximately 10 to 150 micrometres in width and may grow to several centimetres in length.
Distribution
Spirogyra can be found on every continent on Earth, including Antarctica. It is freshwater algae, found in rivers, ponds, and other such bodies of water.Taxonomy
The genus Spirogyra was named by German naturalist Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link in 1820. The lectotype, Spirogyra ''porticalis'' was designated in 1952 by Paul C. Silvia.Reproduction
Spirogyra can reproduce both sexually and asexually. In vegetative reproduction, fragmentation takes place, and Spirogyra simply undergoes intercalary cell division to extend the length of the new filaments.Sexual reproduction is of two types:
- Scalariform conjugation requires association of two or more different filaments lined side by side, either partially or throughout their length. One cell each from opposite lined filaments emits tubular protuberances known as conjugation tubes, which elongate and fuse to make a passage called the conjugation canal. The cytoplasm of the cell acting as the male travels through this tube and fuses with the female cytoplasm, and the gametes fuse to form a zygospore.
- In lateral conjugation, gametes are formed in a single filament. Two adjoining cells near the common transverse wall give out protuberances known as conjugation tubes, which further form the conjugation canal upon contact. The male cytoplasm migrates through the conjugation canal, fusing with the female. The rest of the process proceeds as in scalariform conjugation.
Usage
Spirogyra species are being researched for their potential in bioremediation. Specifically, in stemming toxic runoff from mines and from municipal wastewater. Spirogyra has also been investigated as a potential biofuel.Spirogyra species, such as S. varians, are also being researched for potential pharmaceutical usage due to their high nutrient densities.
Species
The following species are currently accepted. For a more comprehensive and up-to-date list of currently accepted species, view the pages on or .Spirogyra abbreviata ZhengSpirogyra acanthophora CzurdaSpirogyra acumbentis VodenicarovSpirogyra adjerensis Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra adnata KützingSpirogyra adornata LingSpirogyra aequinoctialis G.S.WestSpirogyra affinis PetitSpirogyra africana CzurdaSpirogyra ahmedabadensis KamatSpirogyra alpina KützingSpirogyra alternata KützingSpirogyra amplectens SkujaSpirogyra ampliata L.LiuSpirogyra anchora SkujaSpirogyra angolensis WelwitschSpirogyra angulata NipkowSpirogyra anomala Bhashyakarla RaoSpirogyra anzygoapora SinghSpirogyra aphanosculpta SkujaSpirogyra aplanospora RandhawaSpirogyra arcta EndlichterSpirogyra arcuata LiuSpirogyra areolata LagerheimSpirogyra arizonensis Rickert & HoshawSpirogyra arthuri Woodhead & TweedSpirogyra articulata TranseauSpirogyra asiatica CzurdaSpirogyra atasiana CzurdaSpirogyra atrobrunnea Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra aubvillei Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra australica CzurdaSpirogyra australiensis K.MöbiusSpirogyra austriaca CzurdaSpirogyra azygospora SinghSpirogyra baileyi SchmidleSpirogyra batekiana Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra bellis P.Crouan & H.CrouanSpirogyra bicalyptrata CzurdaSpirogyra bichromatophora TranseauSpirogyra biformis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra biharensis A.M.Verma & B.KumariSpirogyra bii KadlubowskaSpirogyra bireticulata LiuSpirogyra borealis Zheng & LingSpirogyra borgeana TranseauSpirogyra borgei KadlubowskaSpirogyra borkuense Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra borysthenica Kasanowsky & Smirnoff Spirogyra bourrellyana Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra braziliensis TranseauSpirogyra britannica GodwardSpirogyra brunnea CzurdaSpirogyra buchetii PetitSpirogyra bullata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra calcarea TranseauSpirogyra calchaquiesiae B.TracannaSpirogyra californica Stancheva, J.D.Hall, McCourt & SheathSpirogyra calospora CleveSpirogyra canaliculata SegarSpirogyra cardinia S.H.LewisSpirogyra caroliniana G.E.DillardSpirogyra castanacea G.C.CouchSpirogyra cataeniformis KützingSpirogyra catenaeformis KützingSpirogyra cavata VodenicarovSpirogyra chakiaensis KreigerSpirogyra chandigarhensisSpirogyra chekiangensis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra chenii C.-C.JaoSpirogyra chungkingensis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra chuniae C.-C.JaoSpirogyra circumlineata TranseauSpirogyra clavata SegarSpirogyra cleveana TranseauSpirogyra colligata HodgettsSpirogyra columbiana CzurdaSpirogyra communis KützingSpirogyra condensata DumortierSpirogyra congolensis Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra conspicua GaySpirogyra convolutaSpirogyra corrugata Woodhead & TweedSpirogyra costata KadlubowskaSpirogyra costulata KadlubowskaSpirogyra coumbiana CzurdaSpirogyra crassa KützingSpirogyra crassispina C.-C.JaoSpirogyra crassiuscula TranseauSpirogyra crassivallicularis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra crassoidea TranseauSpirogyra crenulata SinghSpirogyra croasdaleae BlumSpirogyra cyanosporumSpirogyra cylindrica CzurdaSpirogyra cylindrosperma KriegerSpirogyra cylindrospora West & G.S.WestSpirogyra czubinskii KadlubowskaSpirogyra czurdae MisraSpirogyra czurdiana KadlubowskaSpirogyra dacimina KützingSpirogyra daedalea LagerheimSpirogyra daedaleoides CzurdaSpirogyra danica KadlubowskaSpirogyra decimina DumortierSpirogyra densa KützingSpirogyra denticulata TranseauSpirogyra dentireticulata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra desikacharyensis RattanSpirogyra dialyderma Ling & ZhengSpirogyra dicephala C.-C.Jao & H.Z.ZhuSpirogyra dictyospora C.-C.JaoSpirogyra diluta H.C.WoodSpirogyra dimorpha GeitlerSpirogyra discoidea TranseauSpirogyra distenta TranseauSpirogyra diversizygotica L.A.RundinaSpirogyra djalonensis Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra djiliense Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra dodgeanaSpirogyra drilonensis PetkoffSpirogyra dubia KützingSpirogyra echinata TiffanySpirogyra echinospora BlumSpirogyra eillipsospora TranseauSpirogyra elegans WollnySpirogyra elegantissima Y.J.Ling & Y.M.ZhengSpirogyra ellipsospora TranseauSpirogyra elliptica C.-C.JaoSpirogyra elongata H.C.WoodSpirogyra elongata DumortierSpirogyra emilianensis BonhommeSpirogyra endogranulata O.Bock & W.BockSpirogyra exilis West & G.S.WestSpirogyra fallax WilleSpirogyra fassula ZhengSpirogyra favosa Y.-X.Wei & Y.-K.YungSpirogyra fennica CedercreutzSpirogyra ferruginea H.W.LiangSpirogyra flavescens KützingSpirogyra flavicans KützingSpirogyra fluviatilis HilseSpirogyra formosa CzurdaSpirogyra fossa C.-C.JaoSpirogyra fossulata C.-C.Jao & HuSpirogyra foveolata CzurdaSpirogyra franconica O.Bock & W.BockSpirogyra frankliniana TiffanySpirogyra frigida F.GaySpirogyra fritschiana CzurdaSpirogyra fukienica WeiSpirogyra fuzhouensis H.-J.HuSpirogyra gallica PetitSpirogyra gaterslebensis ReithSpirogyra gauthier-lievrae KadlubowskaSpirogyra gauthieri GayralSpirogyra gharbensis Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra ghosei SinghSpirogyra gibberosa C.-C.JaoSpirogyra glabra CzurdaSpirogyra globulispora Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra gobonensis Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra goetzei SchmidleSpirogyra gracilis KützingSpirogyra granulata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra gratiana TranseauSpirogyra groenlandica RosenvingeSpirogyra guangchowensis Zhu & ZhongSpirogyra guineense Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra gujaratensis KamatSpirogyra gurdaspurensis RattanSpirogyra haimenensis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra hartigii De ToniSpirogyra hassalii PetitSpirogyra hassallii P.Crouan & H.CrouanSpirogyra hatillensis TranseauSpirogyra heeriana Nägeli ex KützingSpirogyra henanensis L.J.BiSpirogyra herbipolensis O.Bock & W.BockSpirogyra heterospora LiuSpirogyra hoehnei O.BorgeSpirogyra hoggarica Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra hollandiae TaftSpirogyra hopeiensis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra hunanensis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra hungarica LangerSpirogyra hyalina CleveSpirogyra hymerae Britton & B.H.SmithSpirogyra inconstans CollinsSpirogyra incrassata CzurdaSpirogyra indica KriegerSpirogyra inflata DumortierSpirogyra insignis KützingSpirogyra insueta Zhu & ZhongSpirogyra intermedia RabenhorstSpirogyra intorta C.-C.JaoSpirogyra ionia WadeSpirogyra irregularis Nägeli ex KützingSpirogyra ivorensis Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra iyengarii KadlubowskaSpirogyra jaoensis RandhawaSpirogyra jaoi S.H.LeySpirogyra jassiensis CzurdaSpirogyra jatobae TranseauSpirogyra jogensis IyengarSpirogyra jugalis KützingSpirogyra juliana Stancheva, J.D.Hall, McCourt & SheathSpirogyra kaffirita TranseauSpirogyra kamatii KamatSpirogyra karnalae RandhawaSpirogyra kolae HajduSpirogyra koreana J.-H.Kim, Y.H.Kim, & I.K.LeeSpirogyra krubergii V.J.PoljanskiSpirogyra kundaensis SinghSpirogyra kuusamoensis HirnSpirogyra labbei Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra labyrinthica TranseauSpirogyra lacustris CzurdaSpirogyra lagerheimii WittrockSpirogyra laka KützingSpirogyra lallandiae TaftSpirogyra lambertiana TranseauSpirogyra lamellata KriegerSpirogyra lamellosa C.-C.JaoSpirogyra lapponica LagerheimSpirogyra latireticulata Zheng & LingSpirogyra latviensis CzurdaSpirogyra laxa KützingSpirogyra laxistrata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra lenticularis TranseauSpirogyra lentiformis L.J.BiSpirogyra lians TranseauSpirogyra libyca Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra lismorensis PlayfairSpirogyra lodziensis KadlubowskaSpirogyra longifissa WeiSpirogyra lubrica KützingSpirogyra lucknowensis KadlubowskaSpirogyra lushanensis L.C.LiSpirogyra luteospora CzurdaSpirogyra lutetiana PetitSpirogyra lymerae Britton & SmithSpirogyra macrospora KriegerSpirogyra maghrebiana Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra major KützingSpirogyra majuscula KützingSpirogyra malmeana HirnSpirogyra manormae RandhawaSpirogyra maravillosa TranseauSpirogyra marchica H.KriegerSpirogyra margalefii Aboal & LlimonaSpirogyra margaritata WollnySpirogyra marocana Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra maxima WittrockSpirogyra megaspora TranseauSpirogyra meinningensisSpirogyra meridionalis W.J.Zhu & ZhongSpirogyra miamiana TaftSpirogyra microdictyon C.-C.Jao & HuSpirogyra microgranulata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra micropunctata TranseauSpirogyra microspora C.-C.JaoSpirogyra mienningensis L.-C.LiSpirogyra minor TranseauSpirogyra minuticrassoidea YamagishiSpirogyra minutifossa C.-C.JaoSpirogyra mirabilis KützingSpirogyra miranda KadlubowskaSpirogyra mirifica Zheng & LingSpirogyra mithalaensis A.M.Verma & B.KumariSpirogyra moebii TranseauSpirogyra monodiana Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra montserrati MargalefSpirogyra multiconjugata N.C.Ferrer & E.J.CáceresSpirogyra multiformis KadlubowskaSpirogyra multistrata Zheng & LingSpirogyra multitrata Zheng & LingSpirogyra mutabilis C.-C.Jao & H.J.HuSpirogyra narcissiana TranseauSpirogyra natchita TranseauSpirogyra nawaschinii KasanowskySpirogyra neglecta KützingSpirogyra neorhizobranchialis C.-C.Jao & ZhengSpirogyra nitida LeibleinSpirogyra nodifera O.Bock & W.BockSpirogyra notabilis TaftSpirogyra nova-angliae TranseauSpirogyra novae-angliae TranseauSpirogyra nyctigama TaftSpirogyra oblata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra oblonga LiuSpirogyra obovata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra occidentalis CzurdaSpirogyra oligocarpa C.-C.JaoSpirogyra olivascens RabenhorstSpirogyra ollicola C.-C.Jao & ZhongSpirogyra oltmannsii Huber-PestalozziSpirogyra orientalis West & G.S.WestSpirogyra orthospira NägeliSpirogyra ouarsenica Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra oudhensis RandhawaSpirogyra ovigera MontagneSpirogyra pachyderma Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra palghatensis EradySpirogyra paludosa CzurdaSpirogyra papulata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra paradoxa Bhashyakarla RaoSpirogyra paraguayensis O.BorgeSpirogyra parva KützingSpirogyra parvispora H.C.WoodSpirogyra parvula CzurdaSpirogyra pascheriana CzurdaSpirogyra patliputri A.M.Verma & B.KumariSpirogyra peipeingensis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra pellucida KützingSpirogyra perforans TranseauSpirogyra plena CzurdaSpirogyra poljanskii KadlubowskaSpirogyra polymorpha KirchnerSpirogyra polytaeniata StrasburgerSpirogyra porangabae TranseauSpirogyra porticalis Dumortier- typeSpirogyra pratensis TranseauSpirogyra princeps Link ex MeyenSpirogyra proavita LangerSpirogyra prolifica KamatSpirogyra propria TranseauSpirogyra protecta H.C.WoodSpirogyra pseudoaedaloides KadlubowskaSpirogyra pseudobellis W.J.Zhu & ZhongSpirogyra pseudocorrugata Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra pseudocylindrica PrescottSpirogyra pseudogibberosa Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra pseudogranulata S.-H.LeySpirogyra pseudojuergensii H.SilvaSpirogyra pseudomaiuscula Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra pseudomajuscula Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra pseudomaxima KadlubowskaSpirogyra pseudoneglecta CzurdaSpirogyra pseudonodifera O.Bock & W.BockSpirogyra pseudoplena LiuSpirogyra pseudopulchrata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra pseudoreticulata KreigerSpirogyra pseudorhizopus L.J.BiSpirogyra pseudosahnii KadlubowskaSpirogyra pseudospreeiana C.-C.JaoSpirogyra pseudosubreticulata Rickert & HoshawSpirogyra pseudotenuissima O.Bock & W.BockSpirogyra pseudotetrapla KadlubowskaSpirogyra pseudotexensis BourrellySpirogyra pseudovarians CzurdaSpirogyra pseudovenusta Liu & WeiSpirogyra pseudowoodii V.J.PoljanskiSpirogyra pulchella H.C.WoodSpirogyra pulchra AlexenkoSpirogyra pulchrifigurata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra puncticulata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra punctulata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra quadrata P.PetitSpirogyra quadrilaminata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra quezelii Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra quilonensis KothariSpirogyra quinina KützingSpirogyra quinquilaminata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra randhawae KriegerSpirogyra rattanii KadlubowskaSpirogyra rectangularis TranseauSpirogyra rectispira MerrimanSpirogyra regularis KriegerSpirogyra reinhardii V.ChmielevskySpirogyra reticulata NordstedtSpirogyra reticulatum RandhawaSpirogyra reticuliana RandhawaSpirogyra rhizobrachialis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra rhizobranchialis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra rhizoides RandhawaSpirogyra rhizopus C.-C.JaoSpirogyra rhodopea PetkoffSpirogyra rivularis RabenhorstSpirogyra robusta CzurdaSpirogyra rugosa CzurdaSpirogyra rugulosa IwanoffSpirogyra rupestris SchmidleSpirogyra sahnii RandhawaSpirogyra salina AleemSpirogyra sanjingensis Y.Wang & Z.WangSpirogyra sarmae M.Singh & M.SrivastavaSpirogyra schmidtii West & G.S.WestSpirogyra schweickerdtii CholonkySpirogyra scripta NygaardSpirogyra scrobiculata CzurdaSpirogyra sculpta Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra semiornata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra senegalensis Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra setiformis Martens ex MeneghiniSpirogyra shantungensis L.-C.LiSpirogyra shanxiensis Zheng & LingSpirogyra shenzaensis ZhengSpirogyra siamensis TranseauSpirogyra siberica SkvortzovSpirogyra silesiaca KadlubowskaSpirogyra sinensis L.-C.LiSpirogyra singularis NordstedtSpirogyra skujae RandhawaSpirogyra skvortzowii Willi KreigerSpirogyra smithii TranseauSpirogyra speciosa LiuSpirogyra sphaerica Willi KriegerSpirogyra sphaerocarpa C.-C.JaoSpirogyra sphaerospora HirnSpirogyra spinescens KirjakovSpirogyra splendida G.S WestSpirogyra spreeiana RabenhorstSpirogyra subaffinis F.E.Fritsch & M.F.RichSpirogyra subbullata KadlubowskaSpirogyra subcolligata L.J.BiSpirogyra subcrassa WoronchinSpirogyra subcrassiuscula L.J.BiSpirogyra subcylindrospora C.-C.JaoSpirogyra subechinata GodwardSpirogyra subfossulata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra subglabra Zheng & LingSpirogyra sublambertiana ZhaoSpirogyra subluteospora C.-C.Jao & HuSpirogyra submajuscula Ling & ZhengSpirogyra submargaritata GodwardSpirogyra submarina TranseauSpirogyra submaxima TranseauSpirogyra subobovata ChianSpirogyra subpapulatata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra subpellucida C.-C.JaoSpirogyra subpolytaeniata C.-C.JaoSpirogyra subpratensis WoronichinSpirogyra subreflexa Liang & WangSpirogyra subreticulata F.E.FritschSpirogyra subsalina CedercreutzSpirogyra subsalsa KützingSpirogyra subsalso-punctatulata KadlubowskaSpirogyra subtropica ChianSpirogyra suburbana C.-C.JaoSpirogyra subvelata KreigerSpirogyra sulcata BlumSpirogyra sundanensis Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra superba L.LiuSpirogyra supervarians TranseauSpirogyra szechwanensis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra taftiana TranseauSpirogyra taiyuanensis LingSpirogyra tandae RandhawaSpirogyra taylorii C.-C.JaoSpirogyra tenuior KriegerSpirogyra tenuispina RundinaSpirogyra tenuissima KützingSpirogyra teodoresci TranseauSpirogyra ternata RipartSpirogyra tetrapla TranseauSpirogyra tibetensis C.-C.JaoSpirogyra tjibodensis FaberSpirogyra tolosana ComèreSpirogyra torta BlumSpirogyra trachycarpa SkujaSpirogyra transeauiana C.-C.JaoSpirogyra triplicata TranseauSpirogyra trochainii Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra tropica KützingSpirogyra tsingtaoensis L.-C.LiSpirogyra tuberculata LagerheimSpirogyra tuberculosa Liang & WangSpirogyra tucumaniae B.TracannaSpirogyra tumida C.-C.JaoSpirogyra turfosa F.GaySpirogyra tuwensis R.J.Patel & C.K.Asok KumarSpirogyra ugandense Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra unduliseptum RandhawaSpirogyra urbana C.-C.Jao & ZhongSpirogyra van-zantenii CholonkySpirogyra variabilis C.-C.Jao & HuSpirogyra varians KützingSpirogyra variaspora Rickert & HoshawSpirogyra variformis TranseauSpirogyra varshaii Prasad & DuttaSpirogyra vasishtii RattanSpirogyra velata NordstedtSpirogyra venkataramanii RattanSpirogyra venosa KadlubowskaSpirogyra venusta C.-C.JaoSpirogyra vermiculata C.-C.Jao & H.J.HuSpirogyra verrucogranulata I.C A.Dias & C.E.de M.BicudoSpirogyra verrucosa KriegerSpirogyra verruculosa C.-C.JaoSpirogyra voltaica Gauthier-LièvreSpirogyra wangii L.C.LiSpirogyra weberi KützingSpirogyra weishuiensis Ling & ZhengSpirogyra weletischii West & G.S.WestSpirogyra welwitschii West & G.S.WestSpirogyra westii TranseauSpirogyra willei SkujaSpirogyra wittrockii AlexenkoSpirogyra wollnyi De ToniSpirogyra wrightiana TranseauSpirogyra wuchanensis C.-C.Jao & H.-J.HuSpirogyra wuhanensis C.-C.Jao & H.-J.HuSpirogyra xiaoganensis LiuSpirogyra xinxiangensis L.J.BiSpirogyra yexianensis L.J.BiSpirogyra yuin S.Skinner & EntwisleSpirogyra yunnanensis L.-C.Li CTrivia
American jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra was named after this genus of algae.It is also the subject of the Brazilian Samba rock song "Spirogyra story" by Jorge Ben.