Chara - the mother of all plants?

[timebomb]

Hi, folks,

A few weeks ago, the professor gave me a plant. It looks like a stem plant and the scientists speculate that it could be the mother or one of the mothers of all plants. I'm no scientist so I can't tell you how evolution works but it seems this plant is way down near the bottom of the evolution ladder. By appearance, it looks like a stem plant but actually, it's an alga. There appears to be stems and leaves but they are all branchlets. The plant does not have roots but there are rhizoids which the plant uses to grip on to surfaces. There are sex organs but the plant does not produce flowers. In North America, it is commonly known as Stonewort or Muskgrass.

The plant isn't native to Singapore but the professor found it in McRitchie Reservoir. He believes the plant found its way here through migratory birds. Here's the picture:



I tried to look for the species name but couldn't find any pictures. The genus Chara, however, has about 31 known species. I also found out that there are something like close to 64,000 species of algae. Heck, no wonder I'm fighting a losing battle in my tanks

I don't know if I can grow the plant successfully but hey, it shouldn't be too difficult with algae, right? After all, they're always there in my tanks no matter how hard I try to kill them.

Loh K L

[Green Baron]

Kwek Leong,
I remember seeing this plant in the tank near the entrace of the old Eco-Culture LFS.

Ronnie,
Don't you have a plant that look similar ?

[imported_subzero]

I think i have seen it somewhere in the catchment area before. They are covered with mud but it looks really green when you wash them off. However they grow in any directions and tend to entangle easily

[Robert]

Hi,
the genus Chara is not related to higer plants. Even the whole family is not related to vascular plants, although they show some similarities. A realted family of algae should be the mother of all vacualr plants. I'll add a more detailed text of my special botany lecture about this algaes later on.

Regards
Robert

[Robert]

Hi,
these are two texts from my script of my botany lecture about green algae (stoneworts):





regards
Robert

[budak]

Kwek Leong,
If you can, go look (in Popular Bookstore) for the small guide book by the Science Centre titled "Freshwater Life in Singapore." There's a pretty good section on plants (including many suitable for aquaria) and the genera Chara and Nitella are noted as rare members of the order Chlorophyta found locally.

[hammy]

I've got them in my tank as well. They are pretty pungent though. I've got some to spare. Interested parties can PM me.