Chara is an algae.

1.  Chlorophyta is a division of green algae contain chlorophylls
a and b, and store food as starch in their plastids.
 There are many different species belonging to Chlorophyta;
some are unicellular, some are multicelluar.
 Chlorophyta inhabit freshwater, marine and terrestrial
habitats. Conditions for survival include light, carbon,
essential nutrients, water quality, temperature and tidal
exposure.
 Certain intertidal species such as the ulva, or sea lettuce,
can tolerate a range of temperatures and survive drying at
low tide. While most chlorophyta are aquatic.

2. Phycology & Bryology
Chlorophyta (Chara)
Miss Ayesha Shafqat

8. Chara

9. Chara is a green algae that belongs to
the Characeae family.
It loosely resembles land plants
because of the presence of stem-like
and leaf-like structures.
They are multicellular organisms and
thrive in freshwater environments,
particularly in the northern temperate
zones where they can be seen
immersed in water attached to the
muddy bottom.

11. Characteristics of Chara
Chara is commonly known as stoneworts because
they are covered with calcium carbonate.
The structure of Chara is multicellular and profusely
branched, and the plant body is divided into rhizoids
and a main axis.
The most common species found in India include C.
braunii, Chara fragilis and C. zeylanica.

12. Rhizoids
Rhizoids are thin, thread-like structures that are
multicellular, uniseriate and elongated in nature.
The elongated branches have an oblique septa
and they rise either from the base of the plant
body or from the peripheral cells of the lower
nodes of the main axis.
Main Axis
The main axis of Chara is an erect, long and
epigeal structure of the plant body that is
differentiated into nodes and internodes.

13. Life Cycle of Chara – Chara Reproduction
Chara reproduces vegetatively and sexually.
Vegetative Reproduction in Chara
1.Bulbils: Bulbils are small, spherical or oval bodies that develop on
the shoot or root nodes of Chara. They detach and germinate into
new plants.
2.Amorphous Bulbils: Amorphous bulbils are an aggregation of
cells that develop at the nodes. They detach and germinate into new
plants.
3.Amylum Stars: Amylum stars are another type of multicellular
aggregation that have a star shape and are filled with amylum
starch. They are found in the basal region of nodes.
4.Secondary Protonema: Secondary protonema are thread-like
structures that are formed in the basal cells of rhizoids. They give
rise to new plants.

14. Sexual Reproduction in Chara
• The mode of reproduction in Chara is oogamous. The
male sex organ is spherical and yellow to red in colour,
called globule.
• The female sex organ is oval and greenish in colour
and called the nucule or oogonium.
• The sex organs are borne on the branch of limited
growth mingled with secondary laterals.
• The female sex organ, or the nucule is situated singly
above the globule.
• The species of Chara can either be homothallic or
heterothallic.

15. Structure of Globule
• A mature globule is yellow to red in color and spherical in shape.
Each globule consists of outer curved plates called shield cells,
eight in number.
• Each shield cell gives rise to a central rod-shaped structure called a
manubrium.
• The distal end of the manubrium gives rise to a globose-shaped
structure called the primary capitula which extends into the
secondary capitula.
• The secondary capitulum gives rise to antheridial filaments (2-4 in
number).
• The antheridial filaments have 25-250 cells known as antheridium.
Each antheridium can give rise to biflagellate, uninucleate and
coiled antherozoids.

17. Structure of Nucule
The nucule, or the female sex organ is an oval structure that is borne
on a small stalk. It is made up of one central cell, and a large egg at
the top. The whole structure is covered by spirally twisted tube cells,
five in number, except at the top. A group of five cells called corona
cells is present at the top.
Fertilisation
At the time of fertilisation, the spirally twisted tube cells separate to
form five narrow slits. Only one antherozoid can enter the nucule
through these slits up to the site of the egg. The antherozoid and the
egg fuse to form an oospore. And at the end germination takes palce