Charophyta

Charophyta
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota (unranked) Archaeplastida Kingdom: Plantae Division: Charophyta
Classes
Mesostigmatophyceae Chlorokybophyceae Klebsormidiophyceae Zygnemophyceae    Zygnematales    Desmidiales Charophyceae    Coleochaetales    Charales

The Charophyta are a division of green algae, including the closest relatives of the embryophyte plants. Because they exclude the embryophytes, they make a paraphyletic group (though they are occasionally restricted to simply the Charales or stoneworts, which are monophyletic). In some groups, such as conjugating green algae, flagellate cells do not occur. The latter group does engage in sexual reproduction, and motility does not involve flagella, since they are totally lacking. Flagellate cells in the form of sperm are found in stoneworts (Charales) and Coleochaetales.

References

Lewis, Louise A.; Richard M. McCourt (2004). "Green algae and the origin of land plants". American Journal of Botany 91 (10): 1535-1556. 

See also

• Streptophytina

v • d • e Early land floræ
Related links	Evolutionary history of plants • External link directory
The first...?	Vascular plant, Cooksonia  • Tree, Wattieza  • Lycopods, the Drepanophycales and the Zosterophylls  • Fungus fossil, Ornatifilum  • Lichen, Spongiophyton
Enigmatic taxa	Cuticular remains: Cosmochlaina, Nematothallus • A giant fungus? — Prototaxites
Sister taxa	Green algae: Charophyta, from which land plants evolved • Chaetocladus, an early alga
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