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Charophyta
 
 
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The Charophyta are a division of green algae
Green algae

The green algae are the large group of algae from which the embryophytes emerged. As such, they form a paraphyletic group, although the group including both green algae and embryophytes is monophyletic ....
, including the closest relatives of the embryophyte
Embryophyte

The embryophytes are the most familiar group of plants. They include trees, flowers, ferns, mosses, and various other green land plants. All are complex multicellular eukaryotes with specialized reproductive organs....
 plants. In some groups, such as conjugating green algae, flagellate
Flagellate

Flagellates are cell s with one or more whip-like organelles called flagellum. Some cells in animals may be flagellate, for instance the spermatozoa of most phyla....
 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
Charales

Charales is an order of pondweeds, freshwater algae in the division Charophyta. They are green Plantae believed to be the closest relatives of the Embryophyta....
) and Coleochaetales
Coleochaetales

The Coleochaetales are a family of parenchymous charophyte algae. They questionably include the fossil genus Parka ....
.

use they exclude the embryophytes, the Charophyta make a paraphyletic group (although the division Charophyta is occasionally restricted to simply the Charales
Charales

Charales is an order of pondweeds, freshwater algae in the division Charophyta. They are green Plantae believed to be the closest relatives of the Embryophyta....
 or stoneworts, which are monophyletic).






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The Charophyta are a division of green algae
Green algae

The green algae are the large group of algae from which the embryophytes emerged. As such, they form a paraphyletic group, although the group including both green algae and embryophytes is monophyletic ....
, including the closest relatives of the embryophyte
Embryophyte

The embryophytes are the most familiar group of plants. They include trees, flowers, ferns, mosses, and various other green land plants. All are complex multicellular eukaryotes with specialized reproductive organs....
 plants. In some groups, such as conjugating green algae, flagellate
Flagellate

Flagellates are cell s with one or more whip-like organelles called flagellum. Some cells in animals may be flagellate, for instance the spermatozoa of most phyla....
 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
Charales

Charales is an order of pondweeds, freshwater algae in the division Charophyta. They are green Plantae believed to be the closest relatives of the Embryophyta....
) and Coleochaetales
Coleochaetales

The Coleochaetales are a family of parenchymous charophyte algae. They questionably include the fossil genus Parka ....
.

Classification

Because they exclude the embryophytes, the Charophyta make a paraphyletic group (although the division Charophyta is occasionally restricted to simply the Charales
Charales

Charales is an order of pondweeds, freshwater algae in the division Charophyta. They are green Plantae believed to be the closest relatives of the Embryophyta....
 or stoneworts, which are monophyletic). The Charophyta plus the embryophytes make up the Streptophyta, which is a monophyletic group.

See also

  • Streptophytina
    Streptophytina

    Streptophytina is formally a subdivision or subphylum which contains two classes: Charophyceae, containing the Charales order ; and Embryophyceae, which contains the embryophytes ....