Tolypella
Tolypella spp. · Algae
Out of the water · Photo: Dawid Juszczak / CC BY
Also called Stonewort, Tolypella intricata, Tolypella glomerata
How to identify Tolypella
- Small, bushy, bright green tufts only a few inches tall
- Branchlets bunched into dense heads at the joints
- Smooth to slightly gritty, with little smell
- Often appears early in the year and vanishes by midsummer
Similar species
Nitella is taller and looser; muskgrass is gritty and musky.
Growth profile
| Season | Appears in early spring, matures quickly and dies back by early or mid summer, lasting as spores in the sediment. |
|---|---|
| Starts | Cool water, about 40 to 50 F in early spring |
| Light | Clear shallow water |
| Depth | Bottom, usually under 3 feet |
| How it spreads or reproduces | Spores in the sediment, carried by waterfowl |
| Habitat | Shallow ponds, seasonal pools and alkaline or slightly salty waters with soft bottoms. |
Why it matters in a lake
Rarely noticed and seldom a nuisance. Often found in temporary or alkaline waters.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Rare
- Oregon: Rare
- Wyoming: Rare
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Charophyta |
| Class | Charophyceae |
| Order | Charales |
| Family | Characeae |
| Scientific name | Tolypella spp. |
Muskgrass
Nitella
Starry stonewort
Spirogyra
Cladophora
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