Question

Comment on the morphology of thallus and anatomical pecularities in phaeophyta.

Answer 1

It is a large group of algae consisting of 240 genera and over 1,500 species out of which 32 genera and 93 species are reported from India. They are commonly known as brown algae, due to the presence of a golden brown xanthophyll pigment, fucoxanthin (C40H54O6) in the chromatophores.

About 99.7% members are marine and a few grow in fresh water. The fresh water members are Pleurocladia, Heribaudiella, Pseudobodanella, Lithoderma and Sphacelaria. Members like Pleurocladia lacustris grow both in fresh water and marine habitats.