Trochiliscaceae
| Trochiliscaceae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Clade: | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Charophyta |
| Class: | Charophyceae |
| Order: | †Trochiliscales |
| Family: | †Trochiliscaceae |
| Genera | |
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See text. | |
Trochiliscaceae is a family of fossil charophyte green algae. It is the only member of the order Trochiliscales. The reproductive structures in Trochiliscaceae (and families placed in Sycidiales by AlgaeBase) have a calcified cover, called a utricle, that is thought to prevent the zygote being desiccated. Other Paleozoic families lack this cover, as do modern charophytes. Fossils of Trochiliscaceae are from the Devonian.