{{Short description|Genus of algae}} {{Automatic taxobox | taxon = Raphidocelis | authority = Hindák | type_species = ''Raphidocelis sigmoidea''<br /><small>Hindák</small> | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision_ref = <ref name=AlgaeBase/> | subdivision = * ''Raphidocelis arcuata'' * ''Raphidocelis danubiana'' * ''Raphidocelis extensa'' * ''Raphidocelis inclinata'' * ''Raphidocelis mayorii'' * ''Raphidocelis microscopica'' * ''Raphidocelis mucosa'' * ''Raphidocelis pseudomucosa'' * ''Raphidocelis roselata'' * ''Raphidocelis rotunda'' * ''Raphidocelis sigmoidea'' * ''Raphidocelis subcapitata'' * ''Raphidocelis turfosa'' * ''Raphidocelis valida'' * ''Raphidocelis van-goorii'' }}
'''''Raphidocelis''''' is a genus of green algae in the family Selenastraceae.<ref>See the NCBI [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=307506 webpage on Raphidocelis]. Data extracted from the {{cite web | url=https://ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/pub/taxonomy/ | title=NCBI taxonomy resources | publisher=National Center for Biotechnology Information | access-date=2007-03-19}}</ref> They are found in freshwater habitats.<ref name=Bicudo_and_Menezes2006/>
One species, ''Raphidocelis subcapitata'', is a common model organism in the field of toxicology, where it is used as a bioassay. It was previously known as ''Selenastrum capricornutum'', a name later shown to be incorrect.<ref name=Krienitz/>
==Description== ''Raphidocelis'' consists of solitary cells or of colonies of cells within a thin layer of mucilage. Cells are crescent-shaped, with pointed ends that may be twisted out of the plane of the cell. Each cell contains a single parietal chloroplast filling the cell.<ref name=Bicudo_and_Menezes2006>{{cite book | title= Gêneros de Algas de Águas Continentais do Brasil: chave para identificação e descrições | edition=2 | year=2006 | first1=Carlos E. M. |last1=Bicudo | first2=Mariângela | last2= Menezes | publisher= RiMa Editora | pages=508 | isbn= 857656064X }}</ref> ''Raphidocelis'' is sometimes reported as lacking a pyrenoid; it does indeed contain one, although it is not covered in layer of starch grains making it often difficult to observe under the light microscope.<ref name=Krienitz>{{cite journal | doi=10.1111/j.1529-8817.2011.01010.x | title= SSU rRNA gene phylogeny of morphospecies affiliated to the bioassay alga "Selenastrum capricornutum" recovered the polyphyletic origin of crescent-shaped Chlorophyta | year=2011 | last1=Krienitz | first1=Lothar | last2=Bock | first2=Christina | last3=Nozaki | first3=Hisayoshi | last4=Wolf | first4=Matthias | journal=Journal of Phycology | volume=47 | issue=4 | pages=880–893 | pmid=27020023 | bibcode= 2011JPcgy..47..880K | s2cid=1291369 }}</ref>
''Raphidocelis'' reproduces asexually by autospores; zoospores and sexual reproduction have not been observed in this genus.<ref name=AlgaeBase>{{AlgaeBase genus|Raphidocelis|id=43448|access-date=2023-05-15}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|1}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q7294077}}
Category:Sphaeropleales genera Category:Sphaeropleales Category:Freshwater algae
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