Bracteacoccus is a genus of green algae, the sole genus of the family Bracteacoccaceae. It is a terrestrial alga commonly found in soils, from the tropics to the poles.

History

Bracteacoccus was described by E. Tereg in 1922, based on the species Bracteacoccus aggregatus. Later it was synonymized with the genus Dictyococcus, until Richard C. Starr reestablished the genus.

Description

Bracteacoccus consists of solitary, typically spherical cells from 4 to 110 μm in diameter. Mature cells have multiple nuclei (i.e. are multinucleate). Each cell has multiple chloroplasts lining the outer wall of the cell; each chloroplast is angular in shape and lacks pyrenoids. Bracteacoccus reproduces asexually by producing zoospores. The zoospores have two flagella which are slightly unequal in length. Bracteacoccus may also reproduce by producing non-motile aplanospores. Morphologically, the genus is essentially indistinguishable from Pseudomuriella and Chromochloris, except for the fact that the latter two genera do not take up fluorescent dyes as easily. The three genera are phylogenetically distinct. It is also similar to the genus Dictyococcus, but Dictyococcus has chloroplasts which are inflected inwards.

Genera

, AlgaeBase accepted the following species: A further species, Bracteacoccus helveticus (Kol & F.Chodat) Starr, was regarded as of "uncertain taxonomic status".