Dispora

Dispora is a genus of green algae, in the family Coccomyxaceae. It is found in freshwater habitats especially in those with low pH, but it is typically uncommon or rare.

Description

Dispora consists of microscopic colonies of cells, ranging from four to 128, in a homogeneous mucilage. Within the colony, cells are arranged in diads or tetrads, usually as a grid in a flat plane. One species, D. globosa, has globular colonies. Cells are hemispherical, ovate, or triangular; cells are uninucleate with a single parietal chloroplast and no pyrenoids. Cells reproduce by simple vegetative division, while colonies may reproduce by fragmentation.