Charophyte in the context of "Zygnematophyceae"

The embryophytes (/ˈɛmbriəˌfaɪts/) are a clade of plants, known as Embryophyta (Plantae sensu strictissimo) (/ˌɛmbriˈɒfətə, -oʊˈfaɪtə/) or land plants. They are the most familiar group of photoautotrophs that make up the vegetation on Earth's dry lands and wetlands. Embryophytes have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of freshwater charophyte green algae as a sister taxon of Charophyceae, Coleochaetophyceae and Zygnematophyceae. Embryophytes consist of the bryophytes and the polysporangiophytes. Living embryophytes include hornworts, liverworts, mosses, lycophytes, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms (flowering plants). Embryophytes have haplodiplontic life cycles.

The embryophytes are informally called "land plants" because they thrive primarily in terrestrial habitats (despite some members having evolved secondarily to live once again in semiaquatic/aquatic habitats), while the related green algae are primarily aquatic. Embryophytes are complex multicellular eukaryotes with specialized reproductive organs. The name derives from their innovative characteristic of nurturing the young embryo sporophyte during the early stages of its multicellular development within the tissues of the parent gametophyte. With very few exceptions, embryophytes obtain biological energy by photosynthesis, using chlorophyll a and b to harvest the light energy in sunlight for carbon fixation from carbon dioxide and water in order to synthesize carbohydrates while releasing oxygen as a byproduct. The study of land plants is called phytology.

Spirogyra (common names include water silk, mermaid's tresses, and blanket weed) is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae of the order Zygnematales, named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is characteristic of the genus. Spirogyra species, of which there are more than 500, are commonly found in freshwater habitats. Spirogyra measures approximately 10 to 150 micrometres in width (though not usually more than 60) and may grow to several centimetres in length.

Coleochaetophyceae is a class of charophyte algae related to land plants (only Zygnematophyceae is closer). There are about 35 known species, and are predominantly found in freshwater where they live periphytic on the surface of aquatic plants, plastic bags and pebbles in the shallow littoral zone of freshwater lakes. These are small (<200 μm) disc-shaped or filamentous species, and have true multicellular organisation with sexual and asexual reproduction. The discs never develop beyond a two-dimensional organization. Their mitogenome is the most intron rich organelle among the streptophyte algae.

They contain a single order, Coleochaetales, which contains a single family Coleochaetaceae.

Octochara is a genus of fossil charophyte (aquatic green alga) from the Famennian (Late Devonian). It is one of two genera of charophyte described from the Waterloo Farm lagerstätte in southern Africa. It and Hexachara, from the same locality provide the oldest record of reconstruct able charophytes with in situ oogonia.

Octochara is derived from a Greek word "octo", meaning eight, a reference to the octoradial symmetry, and "chara", referring to membership of the Charales. In Octochara, a whorl of eight laterals are borne at each node. Each lateral is branched to produce four secondary branches and bears an oogonium.

Hexachara is a genus of fossil charophyte (aquatic green alga) that is likely to have formed meadows within sheltered oligohaline reaches of lakes.