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- Lyngbya
has
unbranched filaments that are straight, slightly wavy, or rarely
coiled, and usually form large, layered, leathery mats of varied
thickness. The filaments are cylindrical and usually wider than
6 µm. The cells are shorter than they are wide and may
have a restricted cell wall. The apical cells often have a thickened
cell wall called a calyptra.
- A
few planktonic species have gas vesicles for bouyancy, but most
do not.
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- A
rigid, distinct mucilage sheath is always present. The mucous
can be thin or thick, and is colorless or slightly red, yellow-brown,
or occasionally blue. Very rarely, false branching may form.
Under extreme conditions the trichomes may leave the sheaths.
Lyngbya is very similar to Phormidium, which has a looser sheath,
and to Oscillatoria, which normally
lacks a sheath. These three genera can be very difficult to distinguish.
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- (Left)
- Note the rigid, distinct
mucilage sheath surrouding these Lyngbya filaments, indicated
by the arrow.
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- A variety of epiphytic diatoms
and other algae are living attached to the mucilage.
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- This sample was collected
from a freshwater pond.
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