Taxon Account

Ctenophora (Grunow) Williams & Round; 1986; 330

Key references

Williams D.M., Round F.E. 1986. Revision of the genus Synedra Ehrenb. Diatom Research. 1(2): 313-339.

Cells spicular, linear to linear lanceolate in valve view, with rounded, protracted, rostrate to subcapitate ends; cells lying in valve or girdle view.

Isovalvar, isopolar, bilaterally symmetrical.

Striae uniseriate, parallel, perpendicular to apical axis, distinctly punctate in LM; areolae circular or almost rectangular, aligned apically as well as transapically (‘orthostichous’ striae), occluded externally by cribra. At each end there is a rimmed area (apical pore field) of closely spaced, small, unoccluded pores; adjacent to the pore field there is a single rimoportula.

Axial area narrow, linear. Central area large, rounded or rectangular extending to both valve margins (forming a fascia), hollow on the inside, creating a lens-like appearance in LM.

Girdle structure unknown.

Chloroplasts large, plate-like (number unknown).

Cells usually forming tuft-like colonies attached to surfaces by individual mucilage pads secreted through the apical pore fields, or by a massive compound sheet of mucilage produced by a line of several or many adjacent cells (derived from a single cell by repeated division).
This page should be cited as:

Mann D. G. Ctenophora (Grunow) Williams & Round; 1986; 330. In: Jüttner I., Carter C., Cox E.J., Ector L., Jones V., Kelly M.G., Kennedy B., Mann D.G., Turner J. A., Van de Vijver B., Wetzel C.E., Williams D.M. 2025 . Freshwater Diatom Flora of Britain and Ireland. Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. Available online at https://naturalhistory.museumwales.ac.uk/diatoms/browsespecies.php?-recid=3637. [Accessed:  3 April 2025].

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Record last modified: 27/12/2020