Spirogyra

Spirogyra
Spirogyra with its characteristic helically arranged chloroplasts
Scientific classification
(unranked):	Viridiplantae
(unranked):	Charophyta
Class:	Zygnematophyceae
Order:	Zygnematales
Family:	Zygnemataceae
Genus:	Spirogyra Link in C. G. Nees, 1820
Type species
Spirogyra porticalis (O. F. Müller) Dumortier
Species
Over 400; see text
Synonyms
Conjugata Vaucher, 1803[1] Jugalis Schrank, 1814[2]

Spirogyra (common names include water silk, mermaid's tresses, and blanket weed) is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae of the order Zygnematales, named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is characteristic of the genus. Spirogyra species, of which there are more than 400, are commonly found in freshwater habitats.^[3] Spirogyra measures approximately 10 to 100 μm in width and may grow to several centimetres in length. It is often observed as green slimy patches on the ground near ponds and other water bodies having stagnant water.