Microphytes

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Microphytes (from ancient Greek μικρός mikrós: small and φύτον phyton: plant) is an outdated expression for microscopic plants , i.e. those that are no longer recognizable as individuals with the naked eye and therefore have to be examined with the help of a microscope . Since not only photosynthetic green plants, but also bacteria (including archaea and blue-green algae ) and fungi were previously regarded as "plant-based", these are often grouped under microphytes in older works. All microphytes in the strict sense, which means "vegetable" microorganisms belong to the algae and are therefore also microalgae called.

Those plants which, in contrast, can be seen as individuals with the naked eye, are grouped together as macrophytes . The microphytes in their entirety form the microflora . The microphytic algae are divided into the two ecological groups of those floating freely in the water, called phytoplankton , and those that grow on other substrates (the bottom of the water or other organisms), microphytobenthos (see benthos ), periphyton or simply called "growth". Other organisms that feed on microphytes are called a microphytophag .

The biological taxonomy and systematics have recognized today that neither the groups formerly combined to the plants nor to the algae do not form a natural unit (no “ monophyletic taxon ”). The term microphytes does not designate a systematic grouping, but only summarizes organisms according to their similarity and way of life. However, the term is occasionally used further for pragmatic reasons. In contrast to its equivalent macrophyte, it is only rarely used today because it is too closely linked to outdated taxonomic concepts.

Microphyt is also the name of a French company that was founded to market and use the biomass of cultivated microalgae.

Literature and Sources

  • Matthias Schaefer: Dictionary of Ecology. Spectrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg 2012, ISBN 978-3-8274-2561-4 , therein keywords microphyt, mikrophytophag, microflora.
  • Wolfgang Schmitz: The sociology of aquatic microphytes. In Reinhold Tüxen (editor): Biosociology. (= Reports on the International Symposia of the International Association for Vegetation Science 4). W. Junk Publishers, The Hague 1965 (new edition Springer Verlag 2012, ISBN 978 9401175982 ).
  • Peter Englmaier (2014): The Macroflora of Freshwater: Still a worthwhile research topic. Denisia 33: 313-345.
  • What are algae? . Phycology Section of the German Botanical Society (DBG), accessed on December 9, 2019.

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