Roya closterioides Coesel, 2007
Most likely ID: n.a.
Synonym: n.a.
Sampling location: Schwemm Moor (Austria), Simmelried
Phylogenetic tree: Roya closteroides
Diagnosis:
- cells slender rods, sometimes weakly bent
- apices truncated
- length 60–120 µm, width 2.5–3.5 µm
- single, plate-shaped chloroplast
- chloroplast with notch in center
- several pyrenoids
- nucleus central
So far, I have only found a few specimens of Roya closteroides in the Simmelried and the Schwemm Moor. When examining samples under low magnification, Roya closteroides is easily confused with other small, rod-shaped algae, such as Haplotaenium minutum.
The cells in my population were all between 50–70 µm long. Some cells were slightly curved (s. fig. 1). The number of pyrenoids was always 4–6. The cells narrowed slightly towards the ends. The cell wall was always smooth and without structure or coloration.
Fig. 1: Roya closteroides. L = 58–66 µm. Three slightly bent specimens found in April 2015 in the Simmelried. Obj. 100 X.
Fig. 2: Roya closteroides. L = 71 µm. Two slightly different focal planes of a specimen found in the Schwemm Moor. Nu = nucleus, PY = pyrenoid. Obj. 100 X.
Fig. 3: Roya closteroides. L = 68 µm. A second specimen found in the Schwemm Moor. Obj. 100 X.