Mesotaeniaceae
The Mesotaeniaceae are a small family of unicellular green algae known as the "saccoderm desmids". The Mesotaeniaceae appear to be sister or ancestral to the Zygnemataceae. The desmids are a deep branching group of Zygnemataceae. Spirotaenia was found to be a basal green alga.Genera
The Mesotaeniaceae includes the following genera:
- Ancylonema Berggren, 1872
- Cylindrocystis Meneghini ex De Bary, 1858
- Geniculus Prescott, 1967
- Mesotaenium Nägeli, 1849
- Netrium Itzigsohn & Rothe, 1856
- Nucleotaenium Gontcharov & Melkonian, 2010
- Planotaenium Petlovany & Palamar-Mordvintseva, 2009
- Roya West & G.S.West, 1896
- Spirotaenia Brébisson, 1848
- Tortitaenia A.J.Brook, 1998
Synonyms:
- Endospira Brébisson, nom. inval., is a synonym of Spirotaenia
- Entospira Kuntze, 1898 is a synonym of Spirotaenia
- Polytaenia A.J.Brook, 1997, nom. illeg., is a synonym of Tortitaenia
