Desmid of the month
January 2007

Euastrum elegans

Eu. elegans belongs to the group of Euastra which are characterized by a deep apical incision of the semicell (see also Eu. oblongum). In Eu. elegans the lateral sides of the semicell diverge from the top of the apical incision to the basal lobes in a  more or less fluent line. As in many Euastrum species, the inflated central part of the semicell is furnished with a group of granules. Next to this central ornamentation there are some scattered granules at the base and the apex of the semicell. In the Netherlands, Euastrum elegans is rather common in slightly acidic, mesotrophic water bodies. Zygospores, however, are very rare.