Chara vulgaris Linnaeus

Pagana, Ilaria, Virzì, Alessandra, Zafarana, Manuel Andrea & Alongi, Giuseppina, 2024, New Characeae (Charophyceae, Charales) report in eastern Sicily (Italy), Italian Botanist 18, pp. 109-122 : 109-122

Chara vulgaris Linnaeus

Fig. 4 a – d

Geographical distribution.

C. vulgaris is a cosmopolitan species common in all continents ( Korsch 2018). It occurs in Asia, America, and Europe ( Guiry and Guiry 2024). In Italy, it has been reported from Trentino Alto Adige, Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Marche, Umbria, Abruzzo, Latium, Basilicata, Calabria, Apulia, Sardinia and Sicily ( Bazzichelli and Abdelahad 2009; Troia and Barone 2017; Becker 2019; Guarino et al. 2019; Panzeca et al. 2021).

Conservation status.

In Norway, C. vulgaris is classified as endangered ( EN). In the Balkan countries, Sweden, and the Czech Republic it is considered at low risk of extinction, while in the German Länder, its status varies from vulnerable ( VU) to least concern ( LC). In Switzerland, it is vulnerable ( VU) ( Auderset Joye and Schwarzer 2012), in Wales in least concern ( LC) threat status ( Stewart and Hatton-Ellis 2020) and in Slovakia is a near-threatened ( NT) species in IUCN red-list ( Hindáková et al. 2022).

Previously reports from Sicily.

Undefined locality in Sicily ( Troia and Barone 2017); Palermo, Rocca dell’Aquila pond; Palermo, Rebuttone pond; South-east Sicily, Hyblaean Marshes; Trapani, Anguillara ponds; Palermo, portella Maganoce pond ( Guarino et al. 2019); Palermo, some ponds in the Palermo district ( Panzeca et al. 2021).

New reports in Sicily.

Geloi Wetland ( GW-B - Gela, Caltanissetta); Ancipa-Sartori lake ( LA - Troina, Enna).

Morphology.

Thalli are 10–30 cm tall. The main axis has a diameter of 600 μm, and the thalli are mainly green in colour but, sometimes, are also whitish / grey due to encrustations. The rays, arranged in whorls around the erect axes, are slightly curved upwards. Almost all segments are corticated, and the 2–3 terminal cells of the segments are consistently uncorticated (Fig. 4 a ). The cortex is diplostichous and aulacanthous (Fig. 4 b ). The spine cells are always solitary and papilliform. The stipulodes are clearly visible and arranged in two rows (Fig. 4 c ). The species is monoecious and bears both oogonia and antheridia on the same thalli (Fig. 4 d ). The oogonia are about 600 × 300 μm in size and the antheridia are about 350 μm in diameter.

Figures

Figure 4. Chara vulgaris Linnaeus a habit of the apical part of an axis showing rays with the non-corticated terminal segments b diplostichous and aulacanthous cortex c detail of some spine cells and stipulodes arranged in two rows d detail of an axis with some oogonia and antheridia. Scale bars: 600 μm (a); 300 μm (c); 200 μm (d); 100 μm (b).