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Filaments of this blue-green (cyanobacterial) alga are formed of disc-shaped cells joined end to end. The filaments can glide slowly.
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Short length of this filamentous blue green alga within its stiff mucus sheath. From a surface film formed by large numbers of iron bacteria. Differential interference contrast optics.
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Rewetted cryptobiotic soil crust. Lyngbya species (red arrow and inset) and Microcoleus species predominate.Collected from high desert sagebrush habitat in the Escalante national Monument, Utah,37°48'17" N ,111°32'45" W. September 2007.Reflected light macrophotograph (inset microphotograp,DIC).
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Plectonema (plecked-owe-knee-ma) is a filamentous cyanobacterium. Individual cells are more or less cylindrical, but typically have rounded ends and may be a little swollen centrally. The cells move slowly within a sheath - which can be seen here external to some dead cells of the filament. These particular cells were not particularly strongly coloured. Phase contrast.
