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Skidmore College
Biology Department

Charophycean Green Algae (CGA)

The Charophycean Green Algae (CGA) represent a group of green algae that is ancestral to all land plants. These organisms display notable morphological and reproductive diversity and possess extracellular coverings ranging from scales to higher plant-like cell walls to gel-like extracellular polymeric substances. CGA can be found both in the phytoplankton domains and biofilms of freshwater ecosystems as well as in a diverse assortment of terrestrial habitats including the bark of trees and desert crusts. This website is dedicated to this intriguing group of primitive green plants, the group that ultimately leads to land plants.