Oedogonium
Oedogonium spp. · Algae
Under the microscope · Photo: Teodoro Chivatá Bedoya / CC BY
Also called Green hair algae, Filamentous algae, Pond scum
How to identify Oedogonium
- Fine, unbranched, medium green threads
- Often attached to plants, sticks or rocks as fuzzy tufts
- Less slimy than Spirogyra, somewhat rough
- Faint ring like scars near cell ends under a hand lens
Similar species
Spirogyra is slimier with a spiral band; Bulbochaete is branched with long hairs.
Growth profile
| Season | Grows from spring through summer, often peaking in early summer, and overwinters as resting spores. |
|---|---|
| Starts | About 50 to 55 F water |
| Light | Moderate to full sun |
| Depth | Attached to plants and debris, later floating |
| How it spreads or reproduces | Fragments and swimming spores |
| Habitat | Ponds, lakes and ditches, often attached to plants in still water. |
Why it matters in a lake
Commonly mixed into floating mats with other green algae. Rarely a nuisance on its own.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chlorophyta |
| Class | Chlorophyceae |
| Order | Oedogoniales |
| Family | Oedogoniaceae |
| Scientific name | Oedogonium spp. |
Spirogyra
Cladophora
Horsehair algae
Rhizoclonium
Water net
Water felt
Mougeotia
Zygnema
Microspora
StigeocloniumNeed a hand?
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