Desmococcus

Desmococcus is a genus of green algae in the family Stichococcaceae. It is a subaerial genus of algae with a cosmopolitan distribution. Algae in the genus Desmococcus were first named in 1777 by J.C.D. von Schreber, who thought it was a lichen and named it Lichen viridis. After being redescribed in various other genera such as Pleurococcus or Protococcus, the genus was described in 1925 by F. Brand with D. vulgaris as its type. The type species is Desmococcus olivaceus. Molecular data show that Desmococcus is closely related to Stichococcus and related genus, a common genus of algae with rod-shaped cells. Desmococcus differs from Stichococcus and its congeners in morphology (having sarcinoid colonies or short branched filaments, and the ability to produce zoospores). ...read more on Wikipedia.