J. Indian bot. Soc. ISSN - 0019 - 4468 Vol. 94 (1 & 2) 2015 : 40-51

FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED MORPHO-SPECIES OF OSCILLATORIA VAUCHER (CYANOPROKARYOTA) FROM INDIA

SARIKA KESARWANI*, RICHA TANDON AND G.L. TIWARI Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Allahabad 211002, India *Corresponding Author: [email protected]

Five hundred seventeen samples of were collected from different localities of nine districts viz. Allahabad, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Chitrakoot, Raebareli, Fatehpur and Kaushambi of Uttar Pradesh (India) during 2003-2013. On the basis of frequent occurrence and enough growth, ten species of Oscillatoria viz. O. anguina, O. limosa, O. tenuis, O. subbrevis, O. nigro-viridis, O. sancta, O. margaratifera, O. princeps, O. vizagapatensis and O. proboscidea were selected. A key to all the ten species and their morphological description with line diagrams and photographs are given. A brief account of cultural and seasonal observations is also included. The most common five species found in Uttar Pradesh (India) include: O. sancta, O. limosa, O. subbrevis, O. vizagapatensis and O. nigro-viridis.

Keywords: Cultural observations, Frequent occurrence, Oscillatoria

Morpho- of has always and going for DNA sequencings may not be an been on the melting pot. We have been easy task and the facility may not be available identifying species of Oscillatoriales on the with every worker. basis of colour, sheath, cell measurement, For day to day use, we identify the organisms on constriction, granulation and end cell. Most of the basis of morphological and ecological the classical descriptions were created long features. Morpho-taxonomic description of back usually on the basis of a single collection. each taxon is important, because in nature Many workers have identified varieties and different species have different requirements forma and designated as: variety major forma and have specific behavior towards their source minor or variety minor and forma major. As in habitat. In culture, we give optimum nutrients Anabaena iyengarii, based on minor or major and physical conditions but the organism range of magnification, three varieties and two undergoes stress and leads to such forma have been described (See Desikachary, physiological and morphological adaptations 1959, p. 406-409). In Gloeotrichia raciborskii, which are rarely seen in nature. Morpho- in the same way, five varieties have been taxonomy is helpful for routine identification or identified (See Desikachary, 1959, p. 563-564). for biodiversity programmes, however if one In this way, the range of measurement was finds difficulty or involved in biotechnological extrapolated on either side of the range. The exploitation one has to go certainly for the scientists did not consider about their polyphasic approach upto the gene level. ecological niches, and terrestrial species were Keeping this in view, we attempted to segregate recorded as aquatic, bloom forming, benthic, our known species on the basis of some metaphytic or periphytic. Fresh water species practical features of morphology and ecology have been identified as marine, thermal, etc. cryophytes, lithophytes, subaerial or endophytic in occurrence. All such There are many taxonomic accounts on amalgamation made the morpho-taxonomy Oscillatoriales of India including Anand most confusing. Now the so called polyphasic (1989), Tiwari (1975), Adhikary (2007) and approach is the only alternative to identify a many other floristic papers. However, cyanobacterium. In polyphasic approach the exclusive details on Oscillatoriales have been most reliable is DNA sequencing. But every given by Komarek and Anagnostidis (2005) time you collect the specimen from the nature and McGregor (2007). Most Indian accounts

Received on March 18, 2015 Accepted on June 09, 2015 SARIKA KESARWANI, RICHA TANDON AND G.L. TIWARI 41 are based on criteria of classical description and cover all the months. The aim was to cover all classification. Komarek and Anagnostidis the localities of each district during all the (2005) reinvestigated the taxa and several new months in duration of one decade (2003-2013). genera have been segregated and they are The morphological observations were made Geitlerinema, Pseudanabaena, Leptolyngbya, under Leica DMLB trinocular microscope and Tychonema, Jaaginema, Komvophoron, photomicrographs were taken with the help of Limnothrix, , Planktothricoides, Leica DC 300. The material brought from Phormidium and Trichodesmium etc. The new natural habitat was first grown in sterilized concept of Oscillatoria as defined by Komarek petridishes and BG-11 medium (Stanier et al. (2005) includes the following features: 1971) was used as enrichment cultures for trichome straight or bent, without distinct observations. Unispecies cultures were sheath, gliding movement present; cells short maintained in agar culture tubes, liquid culture discoid; tips are usually characteristic; tubes and flasks and also in soil water cultures. reproduce by hormogonia. (In a culture tube, for soil-water cultures: first a The present communication is to distinguish pinch of calcium carbonate, then garden soil different species of Oscillatoria clearly on the upto 1.5 inches from bottom was added and basis of morphological features. We found that then filled with tap water upto more than a half ten taxa that we are reporting here can be clearly of culture tube, then steamed in autoclave for identified on the basis of measurement, one hour consecutively for three days; the terminal tip and cell features, as also indicated organism was inoculated after one day in key of the species. It appears that there is settlement, and maintained in culture room). some overlapping in measurements, but it is OBSERVATION supported by other features like constriction, Growth in culture: Cultures were grown in colour and tip characteristics. Presence of BG-11 medium on solid agar plates as well as in constrictions at the cross walls is quite liquid cultures. Broader species of Oscillatoria supportive in identification. However, formed radiating, fibrous and anastomosing formation of characteristic tips like attenuation, growth patterns of filaments in solid medium calyptras or thickening may not be seen all the and many of them grew penetrating the agar time in a population or present only in certain substratum. Narrower species formed dense trichomes due to fragmentation of trichomes or bright coloured expanded mass. In liquid in young hormogonia. cultures, narrower species formed MATERIALS AND METHODS mucilaginous and membranous growth While surveying the taxa of Oscillatoriales attached to glass wall or on the surface of from different localities and habitat of Uttar medium. All forms growing in culture appeared Pradesh (India) during last one decade (2003- bright coloured but later as nutrients depleted 2013) total 517 samples were collected. We they became yellow-brown. When grown in found 30 species of Oscillatoria out of which nitrogen rich medium (double concentration of NO in medium) they were highly granulated some were rare and therefore, we selected ten 3 species which were found atleast twenty times and when grown in nitrogen deficient medium (half of NO dose) they produced yellow-green in different collections and in sufficient 3 quantity. Various districts of Uttar Pradesh filaments depleted with granules and often (India) included Allahabad, Varanasi, Jaunpur, produced sheath around trichome and making Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Chitrakoot, Raebareli, them look like species of Lyngbya. Fatehpur and Kaushambi. The collections were Perennation: When dried samples of made once in a year in different localities of Oscillatoria collected from natural habitat were each district of Uttar Pradesh subsequently grown as enrichment culture narrower forms representing the different month and year to revived and soon they were dominated by other FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED MORPHO-SPECIES OF OSCILLATORIA VAUCHER...... 42

Plate 1: Figures 1-10 Oscillatoria Vaucher 1: O. anguina 2: O. tenuis 3: O. subbrevis 4: O. nigro-viridis 5: O. vizagapatensis 6: O. proboscidea 7: O. sancta 8: O. limosa 9: O. maragaritifera 10: O. princeps SARIKA KESARWANI, RICHA TANDON AND G.L. TIWARI 43

Plate 2: Figures 11-24 Oscillatoria Vaucher 11: Growth of O. princeps in nature. 12, 13&14: Trichomes of O. princeps. 15, 16, 17 & 18: Trichomes of O. nigro-viridis. 19: Growth of O. maragaritifera in culture condition. 20, 21 & 22: Trichomes of O. maragaritifera. 23: Growth of O. tenuis in culture condition. 24: Trichomes of O. tenuis. FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED MORPHO-SPECIES OF OSCILLATORIA VAUCHER...... 44

Plate 3: Figures 25-34 Oscillatoria Vaucher 25: Growth of O. limosa in culture condition. 26, 27 & 28: Trichomes of O. limosa. 29: Growth of O. sancta in culture condition 30 & 31: Trichomes of O. sancta. 32: Trichomes of O. vizagapatensis.33: Trichomes of O. subbrevis. 34: Trichomes of O. anguina. 35: Trichomes of O. proboscidea. SARIKA KESARWANI, RICHA TANDON AND G.L. TIWARI 45 members of which were too wherever water is retained for sometime. In narrow (less than 4 µm) in diameter. However, summer season most of the habitats are dried dried growth of unispecies cultures in liquid and Oscillatoria can be seen only in perennial medium or agar medium did not revive at all. drains, channels or water reservoirs or other But those grown in soil-water cultures did shady places with limited growth and revive even after one year of stored shelf life. appearance. Repeated collections of the ten Taxa of Oscillatoria Vaucher: On the basis of species reported in the present investigation classical description, a total of 128 species, 80 indicated the following trend of their variety and forma of Oscillatoria were recorded occurrence in decreasing order: from all habitats of India (Tiwari et al. 2001). O. sancta, O. limosa, O. subbrevis, O. When the records were scrutinized in the light vizagapatensis, O. nigro-viridis, O. tenuis, O. of Komarek and Anagnostidis (2005) and princeps, O. margaretifera, O. anguina, O. McGregor (2007) we found that only 30 species proboscidea. are really Oscillatoria and the rest had been OSCILLATORIA VAUCHER either transferred to other genera (as mentioned in introduction) or considered as doubtful or Trichomes isopolar, without sheath, straight or naked names (nomen nudum; where only new slightly irregularly undulating, cylindrical names have been given but not details; sometimes screw like coiled at ends, mostly Vashistha, 1968). present in mats rarely solitary, 4-50µm wide. Cells are always shorter than wide and disc like. As for as thirty taxa that could be recognized as Cells are blue-green, olive or almost blackish, valid species of Oscillatoria as recorded from yellow-green or greenish-blue in colour. Sheath India include O. anguina, O. annae, O. usually absent, although they may occur under bharadwajae, O. bonnemaisonii, O. chilkensis, suboptimal conditions. Trichomes exhibit O. corakiana, O. curviceps, O. fracta, O. gliding motility by left or right handed jenensis, O. koettlitzi, O. limosa, O. lutea, O. rotations, rates of movement range from 1 to maharashtrensis, O. margaritifera, O. miniata, 11µm/s. Division occur in a rapid sequence O. mitrae, O. nigro-viridis, O. obtusa, O. transversely to the trichomes axis. Trichomes ornata, O. perornata, O. princeps, O. are disintegrated into short motile hormogonia proboscidea, O. rupicola, O. sancta, O. and separate with the help of necridic cells. s i m p l i c i s s i m a , O . s u b b r e v i s , O . subproboscidea, O. tenuis, O. vizagapatensis Morpho-taxonomic characteristics: The and O. yamadae. following parameters have been used as characteristic features for distinguishing Seasonal distribution: In general, members of different species: Oscillatoria grow in all types of fresh-water and polluted water bodies. Oscillatoria occur 1. Fresh water or marine. abundantly during rains wherever, there is 2.Benthic, sub-aerophytic, terrestrial, aquatic, water logging for more than 15 days, it starts periphytic or metaphytic. growing and as water recedes or evaporates it 3.Colour of mats: reddish, greenish, black, may form bright blue-green expanded stratum olive-green or blue-green. on moist soil. Many species are common in 4.Trichome straight, arcuated, pale blue-green, rice-fields. In rains it shows luxuriant growth in dark blue-green, brownish or violet coloured. all types of places including building walls, tree trunks, water outlets, ponds, puddles, ditches 5.Trichome ends are cylindrical, narrowed, and other small or large water bodies. In winters bent or coiled. it remains in sewage drains, water channels and 6.Cell diameter, constricted or not constricted other water bodies. During winter rains at the crosswalls, intensity of pseudo-vacuoles Oscillatoria may appear for a short while, and granulations. FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED MORPHO-SPECIES OF OSCILLATORIA VAUCHER...... 46

7. End cells with or without calyptras. Thallus: Mucilaginous, thin, dark blue-green. Key to the species included in the present Trichome: Bright blue-green, 6-8µm broad, study: straight, at the ends distinctly attenuated and 1. Trichome upto 10µm wide…...... ……2 bent. 1.Trichome more than 10µm wide……...……5 Cell: Discoid, 6-8µm broad, 1.3-2.6µm long, 2. End cells capitate, distinctly attenuated apical cell capitate, with slightly thickened with thickened outer wall...... O. anguina membrane. 2. End cells not capitate, not attenuated Cultural Study: Growth on agar plates appear without thickened outer wall…...... …..3 as thin stratum on the surface as well as 3. Cells quadratic, 4-8µm long…..…… trichomes may penetrate inside the agar …………....…...... …. O. tenuis medium. In liquid medium trichomes creep on 3. Cells not quadratic…...... ….…....4 the wall of flask. 4. Trichome ends straight, but not Previous record: Paddy field soils, Karjat, narrowed…...... O. subbrevis Maharashtra and from paddy fields, Aduturai, 4. Trichome 7-11µm wide and Madras, Desikachary, 1959; Allahabad, Uttar constricted ……… O. nigro-viridis Pradesh, Tiwari, 1975. 5. End cells with calyptra… ...... …….6 Habitat and Occurrence: It was found 5. End cells without calyptra…...... …8 growing in irrigation channels mixed with other species of Oscillatoria and other algae; 6. Trichome less than 12µm broad, never Allahabad, Jaunpur, Mirzapur and Kaushambi. c o n s t r i c t e d a t c r o s s w a l l …….…...... O. vizagapatensis 2. O. tenuis Ag. ex Gomont 6. Trichome more than 12µm broad, (Pl. 1, Fig. 2; Pl. 2, Figs. 23, 24) constricted at cross wall…...... …7 Geitler, 1932, Kryptogamenflora, P. 959, Fig. 7. Trichome 10-22µm wide... O. sancta 611 f, g. 7. Trichome 17-29µm wide… …….. Desikachary, Cyanophyta, 1959, P. 222, Pl. 42, ...... O. margaratifera Fig.15. 8. Trichome up to 20µm (-22µm) wide, end- cells with slightly thickened outer Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, wall….….…...... …9 2005, P. 587, Figs. 878 a, b, c, d. 8. Trichome 20-60µm wide, ends of trichome McGregor, Australian biological Resources cylindrical, not narrowe...... …...O. princeps Study, 2007, P.79, Pl.13 e, f ; Fig.16 d. 9. Trichome 12-15µm broad with distinctly Thallus: Thin, blue- green. attenuated at apex...…...... O. proboscidea Trichome: Free, straight, 6-11µm broad, 9. Trichome 9-22µm broad, end of trichome indistinctly constricted at the cross walls. straight or slightly arcuate.....….O. limosa Cell: Quadratic, 6-11µm broad, 2-3µm long, 1. O. anguina (Bory) Gomont apical cell with broadly rounded apex without (Pl. 1, Fig. 1; Pl. 3, Fig. 34) thickened outer membrane. Geitler, 1932, Kryptogamenflora, P. 948, Fig. Cultural Study: Growth on agar plate appears 599 b. as anastomosing wiry growth of long filaments Desikachary, 1959, Cyanophyta, P. 210, Pl. 38, on the surface as well as inside the agar Fig. 11. medium. In liquid medium flask growth is Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, always attached to the bottom and side walls of 2005, P. 592, Figs. 885 a, b, c, d, e, f, g. flask. SARIKA KESARWANI, RICHA TANDON AND G.L. TIWARI 47

Previous record: From paddy field soils, Geitler, Kryptogamenflora, 1932, P. 942, Fig. Nagpur, Maharashtra and Mahabalipuram, 597 c. Madras Desikachary, 1959; Allahabad, Uttar Desikachary, Cyanophyta, 1959, P. 202, Pl. 42, Pradesh; Tiwari, 1975. Fig. 6 & Pl. 49, Fig. 2. Habitat and Occurrence: It was growing on Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, cemented wall of buildings or water tanks 2005, P. 579, Figs. 861 a, b, c, d. where water leaks and also in ponds and ditchs; Varanasi, Pratapgarh, Raebareli, and Thallus: Expanded, blackish-green or olive- Chitrakoot. green in colour. 3. O. subbrevis Schmidle Trichome: Blue-green or olive-green in colour, usually straight rarely coiled, irregularly (Pl. 1, Fig. 3; Pl. 3, Fig. 33) flexuous, cylindrical, 7-11μm broad, slightly Geitler, 1932. Kryptogamenflora, 949, Fig. 601 narrow towards ends, slightly constricted at the b. granulated cross-walls. Desikachary, Cyanophyta, 1959, P. 207, Pl. 37, Cell: Blue-green or grey blue-green in colour, Fig. 2 & Pl. 40, Fig. 1. 2-4μm long, content granular, apical cell Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, conical to widely rounded with slightly 2005, P. 587, Fig. 877. thickened outer cell wall, calyptra present. McGregor, Australian biological Resources Cultural Study: Growth pattern in liquid Study, 2007, P.79; Figs. 15 g, 16 c. medium shows initially attached to walls of flask which later on float freely in submerged Thallus: Thin, olive-green. condition containing air bubble in biomass. In Trichome: Free, 5-8µm broad, nearly straight, solid dish filaments are irregularly spread not attenuated at the apex. forming thin layer over solid agar surface. Cell: Short, 1/3-1/6 as long as broad, 1-2µm Previous record: Usarland rice field, Udhin, long, apical cell rounded, calyptra absent. Kaushambi; Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh; Tiwari, 1975; Kumawat and Jawale, 2006; Tiwari and Cultural Study: Growth in liquid medium Chauhan, 2006. shows solitary trichomes attached to the bottom and side wall of flask. On agar plates trichomes Habitat and Occurrence: Frequently creep and form thin layer. observed in aquatic as well as in moist soils. It grows in slow flowing channels or building Previous record: On the moist banks of River walls during rains and usarland rice fields; Ravi, Panjab, Singh V.P., 1941; in temporary Kaushambi, Allahabad, Chitrakoot and rainwater pools at Borivli, Bombay, Gonzalves Pratapgarh. and Joshi, 1943; from paddy field soil, Kerla, Bihar, Mysore, West Bengal, Laloraya and Mitra, 1974; West Bengal, Roy and Keshri, 5. O. vizagapatensis Rao, C.B. 2014. (Pl. 1, Fig. 5; Pl. 3, Fig. 32) Habitat and Occurrence: Common on moist soils with other Osillatoriales during rains. Desikachary, 1959, Cyanophyta, P. 203, Pl. 42, Frequently observed in rice-fields; Allahabad, Fig. 10. Jaunpur, Raebareli, Kaushambi and Fatehpur. Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, 4. O. nigro-viridis Thwaites in Harvey 2005, P. 602, Fig. 909. (Pl. 1, Fig. 4; Pl. 2, Figs. 15, 16, 17, 18) McGregor , Australian biological Resources Study, 2007, P. 79, Pl. 12 g, h; Fig. 16 e. FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED MORPHO-SPECIES OF OSCILLATORIA VAUCHER...... 48

Thallus: Bright blue-green. wall. Trichome: Mostly straight, rarely bent, 9- Cultural Study: Growth pattern in liquid 12µm broad, not attenuated and constricted at medium shows initially trichomes attach to the cross-walls. wall of flask and creep in upward direction but Cell: Shorter, 1-3µm long with finely in later phase they float freely on the surface of granulated contents, apical cell broadly liquid medium. Trichomes creep irregularly in rounded with slightly thickened outer wall. all directions over solid agar surface. Cultural Study: In liquid medium trichomes Previous record: Soil, drain, marble tank of float on the surface of medium in submerged garden, Department of Botany, University of condition. On solid agar plate trichomes creep Allahabad and road side Shivrampur, and penetrate the agar substratum. Chitrakoot and Atarra, Banda; Tiwari and Chauhan, 2006; Hazarika, et al. 2001, 2002. Previous record: From enrichment culture of paddy field soils, Aduturai, Madras, Rao, 1938; Habitat and Occurrence: Most common and Katni, Madhya Pradesh; Allahabad, Uttar grows all round the year in open domestic Pradesh, Tiwari, 1975. sewage drains. It forms membranous layer on the bottom and side walls of drains. It also Habitat and Occurrence: Frequently grows mixed as metaphytes with other genera observed around shores or attached to side of Oscillatoriales in other water bodies; walls of small ditches, ponds and lakes. Often Allahabad, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Chitrakoot, mixed with other genera of Oscillatoriales Fatehpur and Kaushambi. found in rice fields; Varanasi, Jaunpur, Fatehpur and Raebareli. 7. O. margaritifera Kutzing ex Gomont 6. O. sancta Kutzing ex Gomont (Pl. 1, Fig. 9; Pl. 2, Figs. 19, 20, 21, 22) (Pl. 1, Fig. 7; Pl. 3, Figs. 29, 30, 31) Geitler , Kryptogamenflora , 1932, P. 942, Fig. 597 b. Geitler, Kryptogamenflora, 1932, P. 943, Fig. 598 c. Desikachary, Cyanophyta, 1959, P. 202, Pl. 42, Fig. 8. Desikachary, Cyanophyta, 1959, P. 203, Pl. 42, Fig. 10. Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, 2005, P. 581, Figs. 865 a, b. Starmach, Cyanophyta sinice, 1966, P. 332, Figs. 433, 434. Thallus: Expanded, initially light brown which turns dark brown to blackish in later Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, phase. 2005, P. 594, Figs. 890. Trichome: Straight or wavy, gradually arcuate McGregor, Australian biological Resources towards ends, 15-22µm broad, constricted at Study, 2007, P. 78, Pl. 12 J; 13 c, d; Fig. 16 b. the ± granulated cross-walls, usually parallelly Thallus: Light brown to dark brown to arranged. blackish in later phase of growth. Cell: Pale-brown to blackish-brown in colour, Trichome: Pale-brown in colour, 13-15µm 15-22µm broad and 3-5µm long, apical cell broad, cylindrical, usually straight or rarely rounded with convex calyptra containing curved, slightly constricted at the granulated numerous large granules. cross-walls. Cultural Study: Growth pattern in liquid Cell: 13-15µm broad and 3-5µm long, medium shows growth attached to wall of flask. discoidal in shape, apical cell hemispherical or Trichomes initially creep over solid agar plate flattened with thickened calyptroidal outer cell but in later stage they are tightly coiled. SARIKA KESARWANI, RICHA TANDON AND G.L. TIWARI 49

Previous record: Brackish water of polluted Srivastava, 2005; Kumawat and Jawale, 2006; drain, Naini, Allahabad; Barhate and Tarar, Tiwari and Chauhan, 2006. 1983; Hazarika, et al. 2001, 2002; Kumawat Habitat and Occurrence: It was found and Jawale 2006. growing purely in slow flowing clear water Habitat and Occurrence: It grows in water often mixed with aquatic weeds; Mirzapur, channels, ditches and ponds forming Pratapgarh, Raebareli, Kaushambi and mucilaginous layers in shady places. It was also Chitrakoot. found growing on tree trunks during rains with 9. O. proboscidea Gomont other of Oscillatoriales; Allahabad, Kaushambi, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Mirzapur and Fatehpur. (Pl. 1, Fig. 6; Pl. 3, Fig. 35) 8. O. princeps Vaucher ex Gomont Geitler, 1932, Kryptogamenflora, P. 948, Fig. 598 b. (Pl. 1, Fig. 10; Pl. 2, Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14) Desikachary, 1959. Cyanophyta, P. 211, Pl. 38, Geitler, Kryptogamenflora, 1932, P. 931, Fig. Fig. 9. 593 d. Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, Desikachary, Cyanophyta, 1959, P. 197, Pl. 36, 2005, P. 596, Figs. 891 a, b, c, d. Fig.7. McGregor, Australian biological Resources Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, Study, 2007, P. 78, Pl. 12 i, 13 a, b; Fig.15 e, f. 2005, P. 590, Figs. 883 a, b, c, d, e, f, g. Trichome: Free, straight or sometimes bent, McGregor, Australian biological Resources bright blue-green, screw like coiled at the end, Study, 2007, P. 78, Pl. 12 d, e; Figs. 15 c, d. 12-15µm broad, 3-7µm broad at apex and bent Thallus: Clusters of floating trichomes appear at the apices. blackish blue-green or dark blue-green in Cell: short, 2-4µm long; end-cells flat rounded colour. with a slightly thickened outer membrane. Trichome: Olive-green to dark blue-green in Cultural Study: Trichomes form blue-green colour, 20-50µm broad, long, usually straight, patches on solid agar plate. In liquid medium terminal ends slightly attenuated, ± bent, solitary trichomes float inside the medium. truncate, sometimes fragmented part Previous record: From enrichment cultures of containing two thorn-like structures at terminal paddy field soils, Nagpur, Maharashtraand end. Mahabalipuram, Madras, Rao, 1938; from Cell: Blue-green in colour, 20-50µm broad and paddy field soils of Ballia and Ghazipur, 3.5-7.5µm long, content are finely granulated, Kamat, 1965; Tiwari, 1975. apical cell rounded to spherical or truncate with Habitat and Occurrence: It grows mixed with or without sheath. other species of Oscillatoria. Often Cultural Study: Clusters of trichome attached characteristic tips are obscured and identified to the side wall of the flask or free floating. as other species of Oscillatoria; Allahabad, Motility is rapid gliding, oscillating with left Kaushambi, Chitrakoot, Fatehpur, Raebareli handed rotation. and Varanasi. Previous record: Drain near Paranubaba, 10. O. limosa Agardh ex Gomont Bargarh, Chitrakoot and near Siddhnath ki dari, (Pl. 1, Fig. 8; Pl. 3, Figs. 25, 26, 27, 28) Mirzapur; Vashishta, 1968; Kumar, 1970; Geitler, Kryptogamenflora, 1932, P. 944, Fig. from paddy field soil, Kerala, Madras, West 598 d. Bengal, Laloraya and Mitra, 1974; Tiwari, 1975; Hazarika, 2001, 2002; Mishra and Desikachary, Cyanophyta, 1959, P. 206, Pl. 42, FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED MORPHO-SPECIES OF OSCILLATORIA VAUCHER...... 50

Fig. 11. walls, apical tips and measurements are quite Starmach, Cyanophyta sinice, 1966, P. 326, Fig. helpful in identification of morphospecies. The 443. grading of fequency during our study for the ten spices of different localities of Uttar Pradesh Komarek and Anagnostidis, Cyanoprokaryota, (India) in decreasing order (most frequent to 2005, P. 593, Fig. 886. least frequent) is O. sancta, O. limosa, McGregor, Australian biological Resources O.subbrevis, O.vizagapatensis, O.nigro- Study, 2007, P. 76, Pl. 12 b, c; Fig. 16 b. viridis, O. tenuis, O. princeps, O. margaretifera, O. anguina, O. proboscidea. T h a l l u s : E x p a n d e d , d a r k b l u e - g r e e n , oftenlayered. Authors are thankful to Head, Department of Botany, University of Allahabad for providing Trichome: Dark blue-green or olive-green in facilities and to the Department of Science and colour, 10-14µm broad, free solitary, long, Technology, Government of India, New Delhi, straight, not constricted at the prominent cross- for providing financial assistance. walls, terminal end flatly rounded. REFERENCES Cell: Blue-green in colour, 12-20µm broad and 2-4µm long, apical cell flat rounded or obtuse Adhikary S P 2007 Freshwater Algae of Eastern rounded without calyptra. and North-eastern region of India in the Seminar-cum-workshop on “Taxonomy of Cultural Study: Growth patterns in liquid freshwater algae and their utilization” at Utkal medium shows initially solitary trichomes, free University, Bhubaneswar pp. 1-22. floating in submerged condition but in later stage attached to the wall and bottom of the Anand, N 1989 Handbook of Blue-green Algae flask. In solid dish trichomes radiate on solid of rice fields of South India. Gajendra Singh agar surface and show fibrous growth. Gahlot Dehra Dun, India. Previous record: Low land rice field, Barhate V P and Tarar J L 1983 Algae of Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Tiwari, 1975; Maharashtra-I. Additions to Cyanophyceae of Bengal, Martens, 1870; Hazarika, 2001, 2002; Khandesh. Phykos 22 67-72. Mishra and Srivastava, 2005; Kumawat and Desikachary T V 1959 Cyanophyta I.C.A.R., Jawal, 2006; Tiwari and Chauhan, 2006. New Delhi, pp 686. Habitat and Occurrence: Common in larger Geitler L 1932 Cyanophyceae in Rabenhorst's water bodies mixed with other Oscillatoriales Kryptogamenflora. Leipzig 14 1-1196 and also as a dominant species and also low land rice field; Pratapgarh, Allahabad, Fatehpur, Gonzalves E A and Joshi D B 1943 The algal Raebareli, Kaushambi and Mirzapur. flora of temporary waters around Bombay- I. An ecological study of the algae in some rain DISCUSSION water pools near Borivli. Leipzig 11 34-45. The species of Oscillatoria grow mostly in Hazarika B, Devi P and Boissya C L 2001 submerged condition and may remain viable in Cyanobacteria of rice fields of Lakhimpur. moist or dry soil for several months. In culture Phykos 40(1&2) 95-102. condition, when they are dried they do not revive on rewetting. In culure condition the Hazarika B, Devi P and Boissya C L 2002 bright colour and distinct granulation depend Genus Oscillatoria Vaucher from Ranga Nadi on enough nutrient condition. Characteristic and its adjoining areas of Lakhimpur district, tips are seen only in mature trichomes, not in Assam. Phykos 41(1&2) 13-15. fragmented pieces or hormogonia. The Kamat N D 1965 A study on the algae from diameter of trichome, constrictions at the cross paddy field soils of Ballia and Ghazipur districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Nova SARIKA KESARWANI, RICHA TANDON AND G.L. TIWARI 51

Hedwigia 10 185. Rao C B 1938 Myxophyceae of the Madras Komárek J and Anagnostidis K 2005 Presidency. J Indian Bot Soc 17 89. C y a n o p r o k a r y o t a , O s c i l l a t o r i a l e s , Roy S and Keshri J P 2014 On the occurrence Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa, Elsevier of the members of Nostocales (Cyanophyta) Spektrum Akadesmischer Verlag. 19/2 759. from Burdwan, West Bengal, India with a note Kumar H D 1970 Cyanophyceae of of their ecology. Int J Life Sc Bt & Pharm Res 3 Sardhana. Phykos 9 79-85. 126-136. Kumawat D K and Jawale A K 2006 The genus Singh V P 1941 On a collection of algae from Oscillatoria Vaucher (Cyanobacteria) from fish Chamba State (Punjab)-I. Proc Indian Acad Sci pond of Jalgon district, J Indian Bot Soc 85 97- B 14 250-255. 102. Stanier R Y R, Kunisawa M M and Cohen- Laloraya VK and A K Mitra 1974 Studies on Bazire G 1971 Purification and properties of the Blue-green Algae of the paddy fields of unicellular blue-green algae (order India, Part-I. Cultural studies, General Chroococcales). Bacterial Rev 35 171-205. considerations and Distribution pattern of blue Tiwari A and Chauhan S V S 2006 Seasonal – green Algae in the paddy fields of India. Nova variation in some Oscillatoria species from Hedwigia 47 227-359. polluted pond of Agra. J Indian Bot Soc 85 110- Martens G V 1870 A third list of Bengal Algae, 117. determined by G.V. Martens, Communicated Tiwari G L 1975 A study of Blue-green Algae by Mr. S. Kurz. Proc. Asiatic Soc Bengal 39 9- from paddy field soils of India. Taxonomic 12. consideration of non-heterocystous Blue-green Mc Gregor Glenn B 2007 Freshwater Algae. Nova Hedwigia 26 765-798. Cyanoprokaryota of North-Eastern Australia-I: Tiwari O N, Dhar D W, Tiwari G L and Singh P Oscillatoriales. Australian biological K 2001 Non-heterocytous filamentous Resources Study Canberra 24 1-123. Cyanobacteria from rice fields of Uttar Mishra P K and Srivastava A K 2005 Fresh Pradesh, India. Phykos 40(1&2) 61-64. water Cyanophycean algae from north eastern Vashishta P C 1968 Thermal Cyanophyceae Uttar Pradesh, India. J Indian Bot Soc 84 67- of India-I. Phykos 7(1&2) 198-241. 75.