CHARACEAN ALGAE

(= Charophyceae)

Class of filamentous green algae exemplified by the genus Chara, in which the mitotic spindle is not surrounded by a nuclear envelope. Probably the closest relatives, among the algae, to higher plants. The giant internodal cells (up to 5cm long) exhibit dramatic cyclosis and have been much used for studies on ion transport and cytoplasmic streaming.