Palmophyllaceae

The Palmophyllales are a deep-branching order of thalloid green alga, containing the single family Palmophyllaceae. They possibly form a sister group to the Chlorophyta. They survive today in deep waters, and can be found at 210 meters below the surface, where predation pressure is reduced. The group contains the genera Palmophyllum, Verdigellas and Palmoclathrus. The morphology of Palmophyllales is unusual in that they are composed of cells in a gelatinous matrix, so they are multicellular, but not in a conventional way.