Species of Pithophora occasionally appear in Europe and are associated mostly with the tropical, higher water plants, cultivated in numerous botanical gardens. In June 1973 pale green, branched threads were discovered in the pond of the Wroclaw Botanical Garden, amongst filaments of Spirogyra crassa (Kutz.) Czurda emend. and Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kutz. floating on the water surface. They were maintained for several weeks in crude cultures and produced numerous, dark akinetes tightly packed with reserve material. This collected material was found to be a member of the family Pithophora, Wittr. Further examinations identified the material as Pithophora oedogonia. The findings point out that it is probable, that species of Pithophora Wittr. can become acclimatized in Europe, primarily in ponds of botanical gardens, where consequently they are able to tangle easily with higher tropical plants

Panek, E. S.

English

Aquatic Commons

Freshwater Biological Association 
FBA Translation (New Series) No. 104 
Title: On the occurrence of Pithophora oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr. var. polyspora 
Rendle et West fil (Cladophoraceae) in the Pond of the Wroclaw Botanical 
Garden. 
Author(s) PANEK E.S. 
Reference: Fragm.flor.geobot. 22, 255-260 
Original language: Polish 
Date of publication of original: 1976 
Translator: G.H.M. JAWORSKI. 
Date of publication of translation: 1977 
Number of pages of translation: 5 pages 
FBA Translations are to be considered as "provisional", As a rule 
they have not been prepared by expert translators, nor have they 
been edited by the original authors. 
They are available from The Librarian, 
Freshwater Biological Association, 
The Ferry House. 
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AMBLESIDE, 
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England, 
at the current rate for xerox copying. 
F.B.A. Translation (New Series) No. 104 
On the occurrence of Pithophora oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr. var. polyspora 
Rendle et West fil , (Cladophoraceae) in the Pond of the Wroclaw 
Botanical Garden. 
PANEK E.S. 
Fragm.flor.geobot. 22, 255-260 
Translated by: G.H.M. Jaworski. 
Species of Pithophora Wittr. occur mainly in tropical and subtropical 
regions (Brand 1905, Collins 1909,1912, Heering 1921, Heller 1895, 
Mobius 1893, 1895, Schmidle 1897a, b, Patel 1971, Shukla 1971, Sula 1930, 
Wittrock 1877), however some also occur under natural conditions in 
temperate regions - chiefly in U.S.A. (McNeill 1966, Prescott 1962, Smith 
1950, Tiffany and Britton 1952). 
Species of Pithophora occasionally appear in Europe and are associated 
mostly with the tropical, higher water plants, cultivated in numerous 
botanical gardens. The three species which occur most often are: 
Pithophora oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr., P. kewenais Wittr. and P. varia Wille 
(Starmach 1972). 
In June 1973 pale green, branched threads were discovered in the pond of 
the Wroclaw Botanical Garden, amongst filaments of Spirogyra crassa (Kutz.) 
Czurda emend. and Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kutz. floating on the water 
surface. They were maintained for several weeks in crude cultures and 
produced numerous, dark akinetes tightly packed with reserve material. 
This collected material was found to be a member of the family Pithophora, 
Wittr. 
Throughout the day the temperature of the water in the pond fluctuated 
between 16 and 21°C; the average pH was 7.9; the amount of nitrogen 
(excluding nitrates) in the water remained constant at 1.6 mg.l-1 and the 
values for Ca and K ions amounted to 72.2 mg.l-1 and l4.4mg.l-1 respectively. 
The size of whole plants varied from 1.5 to 3.0 cm. Generally primary and 
secondary branches were arranged separately along one side or - rarer -
opposite. Occasionally tertiary branches emerged, which were usually single -
called (fig. 1-4). The average width of cells in the main filament was 
75 μm, for primary branches 75 μm also, and for secondary branches around 
55 μm. The width of ceils forming tertiary branches did not exceed 35μm. 
Vegetative cells were 10 - 45 times longer than broad, the length of cells 
increased similarly in the higher branching orders. Helicoids were not 
s e e n . 
Cylindrical or barrel-shaped intercalary akinetes occurred separately but 
mostly 3-4 alongside each other (occasionally up to 7) (fig. 2). Terminal 
akinetes were elongated, cone shaped and rounded at the apex. They occurred 
individually, although often 1 or 2 cylindrical, akinetes, with slightly convex 
lateral walls, developed below the terminal akinete. (fig. 3). Average 
measurements of the terminal akinetes were 91.3 μm x 310 μm ( 30-105μm x 
250-340 μm). On the other hand intercalary akinetes were 103.12μm x 
225.9μm. (75-130μm x 110-385 μm). 
-2-
Germination was observed, several days a f t e r the t rans fe r in to tap water 
of fi laments containing ak ine tes . The akinetes developed l a t e r a l l y , remaining 
within the parent filament, a t the same time the pr inc ip le of one-sidedness, 
Fig. 1-4. Pithophora oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr. var. polyspora Rendle et West fil. 1— Part of the plant 
representing primary artel secondary ramification supporting intercalary akinetes, 2—Intercalary akinetes 
in a primary ramification, 3 —- Part of a secondary ramification with an terminal akinete and adherent 
cylindrical akinetes with slightly convex side walls, 4 —Intercalary akinetes germinating in the parent 
filum 
The lack of information concerning the variability, not only of the type 
described from the Reddish Canal but species in general belonging to 
Pithophora Wittr. does not allow one to settle, whether the above mentioned 
differences in the sizes of akinetes and vegetative cells are due to changing 
environmental conditions or in the case of the Wroclaw specimen, we have to deal 
clearly visible in fully developed branches, was not retained (fig. 4). 
Comparing descriptions of numerous species and type material, in collections 
at the Herbarium of the Botanical Institute, Wroclaw University (Stojanowska 
in press), with specimens collected from the pond of Wroclaw Botanical Gardens 
showed, that they undoubtedly belonged to the section Isosporeae (Bourrelly 
1966), from which the two species most frequently encountered are: P.kewensis 
Wittr. and P. oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr. A lack of helicoids, dimensions and 
numbers of akinetes, together with the dimensions of vegetative cells made 
it possible to designate the collected material as Pithophora oedogonia 
(Mont.) Wittr. var. polyspora Rendle et West fil. In the process of designation 
drawings by J.W.G. Lund from Ambleside, based on material from the Reddish Canal 
(unpublished), were also made available. 
In spite of an overall agreement of features, the Wroclaw specimen differed 
in certain respects from that described from the Reddish Canal (Rendle and 
West 1899). The average dimensions of intercalary akinetes were within the 
limits, set by Rendle and West, however they showed a greater range with 
regard to both width and length. Terminal akinetes were found to be longer 
than those in the variety from the Reddish Canal. A comparison between the 
sizes of akinetes from the Wroclaw specimen and those produced by the variety 
described by Rendle & West, is presented on page 258, (all measurements are in 
μm). Results from the table show, that the terminal akinetes formed by the algae 
found in Wroclaw were somewhat longer than those produced by the variety from the 
Reddish Canal. On the other hand longer and narrower examples were discovered 
amongst the intercalary akinetes. The length of vegetative cells was also 
rather larger in the Wroclaw specimens. 
-3-
—4— 
with a definite form. It appears that the member of Pithophora under 
discussion had become acclimatised in the pond of the Wroclaw Botanical 
Garden, because it was found there both in Autumn 1973 and Spring 1974, 
although during the winter the pond was periodically covered with ice. 
It ought to be emphasized here, that this species was not found in the 
baths and aquaria of the hothouse, thus ruling out its repeated removal to 
the pond "de novo". 
The discovery of a member of Pithophora Wittr. in Wroclaw is worthy of 
mention for this reason, that - excepting rare occurences. (Heering 1921," 
Radzimovskij 1963) - all species found in Europe belonging to this genus 
were growing in aquaria or in places where the water was heated (Wittrock 
1.877, Rendle and West 1899, Sula 1930). 
It is probable, that species of Pithophora Wittr. can become acclimatized 
in Europe, primarily in ponds of botanical gardens, where consequently they 
are able to tangle easily with higher tropical plants. 
Factors determining the germination of akinetes, on the basis of experimentation 
- too superficial - could not be observed. It can be said, that subject to the 
controlling conditions, akinetes in parental threads germinate at any moment 
or are released with the help of a mechanism described by Ratmanathan (1939). 
In relation to the arrival of the Wroclaw species it can be assumed, that 
it was introduced from Brazil together with tropical Nymphaceae, at present 
under cultivation in the Wroclaw Botanical Gardens. It is very probable that 
Brazil is the origin of the species P. oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr., although - from 
the literature available - the type var. polyspora Rendle et West fil. was up 
till now only published from England (Rendle and West 1899). 
This present report is the first relating to the occurrence of a member of 
Pithophora Wittr. in Poland under non-hothouse conditions. 
References. 
Bourrelly P. 1966. Les Algues d'Eau Douce. 1. Les Algues Vertes. Paris, N. Boubee, ss. 358. 
Brand F 1905. Uber die Anheftung der Cladophoracean und uber verschiedene polynesische Formen 
dieser Familie. Beih. bot. Centralbl. 18(1) : 1 6 5 - 1 9 3 . 
C o l l i n s F S 1909. The Green Algae of Nor th America. Tufts Coll. Stud., sc. ser. 2 : 7 9 - 4 8 0 . 
C o l l i n s F S. 1912. The Green Algae of Nor th America. Tufts Coll. Stud., sc. ser. 3 : 69—109. 
H e l l e r A. A . 1895. Plants of the Hawaiian Islands. N o . 85 Pithophora affinis Nordst. , N o . 23SS P. su-
matrana (Mart.) Wittr. 
Heering W 1921. Chlorophyceae IV. Siphonocladiales, Siphonales. Die Susswasserflora. 7. Jena, ss. 61-63. 
McNeil l E. M. 1966. New collections of the algae in West Virginia, abstr. W: Excerpta Botanica Sect. A. 
Taxonomica et Chorologica 16(6): 451. 
Mobius M. 1393. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Algenflora Javas. Ber. deutsch. bot. Ges. 11: 122. 
Mob ius M. 1395. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Algengattung Pithophora. Ber. deutsch. bot. Ges. 13: 356-361. 
Pa te l R. J. 1971. Cytotaxonomical studies on Pithophora kewensis Wittr. Phykos 10(1, 2): 18—23. 
- 5 -
Presco t t G. W. 1962. Algae of the Western Great Lakes Area. Dubuque Iowa, WM. C. Brown. Co., 
ss. 193—194. 
Radz imovski j D. O. 1963. Pro znachodzennja zelenoj vodorosti Pithophora kewensis Wittr.(?) na 
Ukraiini. Ukr. bot. Zurn. 20(5):44—47. 
R a m a n a t h a n K. R. 1939. On the mechanism of spore liberation in Pithophora polymorpha Wittr. J. indian 
bot. Soc. 18(1): 25—29. 
Rend le A. B., West W. jun. 1899. A New British Freshwater Alga. J. Bot. (London) 37: 289—291. 
Schmidle W. 1897a. Susswasseralgen. In: Reinecke F. Die Flora der. Samoa-Inseln. Bot. Jahrb. 23: 
264—265. 
Schmidle W. 1897 b. Epiphylle Algen nebst einer Pithophora und Dasya aus Neu-Guinea. Flora 83. 
304—326. 
Smi th G. M. 1950. The Freshwater Algae of The United States. 2 ed. New York, Toronto, McGraws-Hill: 
Book Comp.,.ss. 719. 
S t a r m a c h K. 1972. Zielenice nitkowate. Warszawa—Krakow, PWN, ss. 750. Flora slodkowodna Polski 10. 
S to janowska W. Katalog Zbiorow Zielnika Instytutu Botaricznego Uniwersytetu Wroclawskiego 5. 
Chlorophyta 1. W druku. 
Shukla A. 1971. Systematic description of Algae from Panki rice fields, India. Rev. Algol. n. s. 10. fasc. B : 
257—270. 
Sula J. 1930. Pithophora pragensis n. sp., eine neue Pithophora aus Prager Aquarien. Preslia 9 : 22—25. 
Tiffany L. H., B u t t o n M. E. 1952. The Algae of Illinois. Chicago, s. 48. 
W i t t r o c k B. 1S77. On the development and systematic arrangement of the Pithophoraceae. Nova Acta 
Regiae Soc. Sc. upsal. 3: 1—80. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notice 
 
 
Please note that these translations were produced to assist the scientific staff of the 
FBA (Freshwater Biological Association) in their research. These translations were 
done by scientific staff with relevant language skills and not by professional 
translators. 
 
 
 


On the occurrence of Pithophora oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr. var. polyspora Rendle et West fil (Cladophoraceae) in the pond of the Wroclaw Botanical Garden [Translation from: Fragmenta Floristica et Geobotanica 22 255-260, 1976]

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On the occurrence of Pithophora oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr. var. polyspora Rendle et West fil (Cladophoraceae) in the pond of the Wroclaw Botanical Garden [Translation from: Fragmenta Floristica et Geobotanica 22 255-260, 1976]

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