Phytotaxa 319 (1): 084–092 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) http://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ PHYTOTAXA Copyright © 2017 Magnolia Press Article ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.319.1.4 Phylogeny and morphology of genus Nephrocytium (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta) from China XUDONG LIU1,2, HUAN ZHU1, BENWEN LIU1,2, GUOXIANG LIU1* & ZHENGYU HU3 1Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China 2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, P. R. China 3State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China *Corresponding author e-mail:
[email protected] Abstract The genus Nephrocytium Nägeli is a common member of phytoplankton communities that has a distinctive morphology. Its taxonomic position is traditionally considered to be within the family Oocystaceae (Trebouxiophyceae). However, research on its ultrastructure is rare, and the phylogenetic position has not yet been determined. In this study, two strains of Nephro- cytium, N. agardhianum Nägeli and N. limneticum (G.M.Smith) G.M.Smith, were identified and successfully cultured in the laboratory. Morphological inspection by light and electron microscopy and molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed to explore the taxonomic position. Ultrastructure implied a likely irregular network of dense and fine ribs on the surface of the daughter cell wall that resembled that of the genus Chromochloris Kol & Chodat (Chromochloridaceae). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Nephrocytium formed an independent lineage in the order Sphaeropleales (Chlorophyceae) with high support values and a close phylogenetic relationship with Chromochloris. Based on combined morphological, ultrastructural and phylogenetic data, we propose a re-classification of Nephrocytium into Sphaeropleales, sharing a close relationship with Chromochloris.