Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 16, 2026

Scherffelia

Scherffelia is a genus of green algae in the family Chlorodendraceae. It is widespread in freshwater, brackish, and marine habitats, but is often overlooked due to its small size.

Last revised
Jul 16, 2026
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Scherffelia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Chlorophyta
Class: Chlorodendrophyceae
Order: Chlorodendrales
Family: Chlorodendraceae
Genus: Scherffelia
Pascher
Type species
Scherffelia dubia
(Perty) Pascher1

Scherffelia is a genus of green algae in the family Chlorodendraceae.2 It is widespread in freshwater, brackish, and marine habitats,1 but is often overlooked due to its small size.3

The genus was circumscribed by Adolf A. Pascher in Lotos vol.59 on page 341 in 1911.

The genus name of Scherffelia is in honour of Aladár Scherffel (1865–1938), who was a Hungarian botanist (Algology) and mycologist.4

Description

Scherffelia is a unicellular organism. The cells are ovoid or ellipsoid, strongly flattened and sometimes somewhat twisted along their longitudinal axes. The anterior apex has a small depression from which four equal flagella emerge. The cell is surrounded by a wall (termed a theca) composed of fused organic scales, which may be reddish in color. The lateral margins of the theca are winged.15

Cells contain a single central nucleus and two (rarely three) contractile vacuoles) at the anterior. There are two chloroplasts, which lack pyrenoids. An eyespot (stigma) is usually present.13

Scherffelia swims while rotating along its longitudinal axis; it travels in a straight line but may abruptly change its direction.3

Reproduction

Scherffelia reproduces asexually. The cell contents divide into four within the theca, and become four daughter cells/zoospores. Sexual reproduction has not been observed in Scherffelia.1

Species

As accepted by WoRMS;6

  • Scherffelia bichlora (H.Ettl & O.Ettl) Massjuk & Lilitsk, 2006
  • Scherffelia deformis Skuja, 1939
  • Scherffelia dubia (Perty) Pascher, 1912
  • Scherffelia incisa (Nygaard) Massjuk & Lilitsk, 2006
  • Scherffelia pelagica Skuja, 1948
  • Scherffelia phacus Pascher, 1912

Former Species;

  • S. opisthostigma Skuja, 1948 accepted as Scherffelia dubia
  • S. ovata Pascher, 1927 accepted as Scherffelia dubia
References

References

  1. Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. "Scherffelia Pascher, 1911". AlgaeBase. University of Galway. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  2. See the NCBI webpage on Scherffelia. Data extracted from the "NCBI taxonomy resources". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  3. Melkonian, Michael; Preisig, Hans Rudolf (1986). "A light and electron microscopic study of Scherffelia dubia, a new member of the scaly green flagellates (Prasinophyceae)". Nordic Journal of Botany. 6 (2): 235–256. doi:10.1111/j.1756-1051.1986.tb00876.x.
  4. Burkhardt, Lotte (2022). Eine Enzyklopädie zu eponymischen Pflanzennamen [Encyclopedia of eponymic plant names] (pdf) (in German). Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2022. ISBN 978-3-946292-41-8. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  5. Nakada, Takashi; Nozaki, Hisayoshi (2014). "Chapter 6. Flagellate Green Algae". In Wehr, John D.; Sheath, Robert G.; Kociolek, J. Patrick (eds.). Freshwater Algae of North America: Ecology and Classification (2 ed.). Elsevier Inc. pp. 265–313. ISBN 978-0-12-385876-4.
  6. "Scherffelia Pascher, 1911". www.marinespecies.org. WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 17 October 2022.