mouse over mages © Jan Šťastný (after Irish material)
Staurastrum elongatum. Notice highly elongate cell shape and short, divergent apical processes.
Cell dimensions (L x B): ca 70 x 45 µm
Staurastrum elongatum belongs to a group of desmid species with a marked Atlantic distribution, i.e. confined to northern and westernmost Europe. S. elongatum hardly can be confused with any other Staurastrum species because of its strikingly elongate cell shape. Semicell body is vase-shaped with a swollen base and apical angles that are extended into relatively short processes. Dutch records are confined to some oligotrophic moorland pools dating from the first half of the last century.
Image © Jan Šťastný