Ulvophyceae

The Ulvophyceae or ulvophytes are a class of green algae,<ref name="Algaebase" /> distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology, life cycle and molecular phylogenetic data.<ref name="Graham">Template:Cite book</ref> The sea lettuce, Ulva, belongs here. Other well-known members include Caulerpa, Codium, Acetabularia, Cladophora, Trentepohlia and Monostroma.

The Ulvophytes are diverse in their morphology and their habitat. Most are seaweeds such as those listed above. Others, such as Rhizoclonium, Pithophora and some species of Cladophora live in fresh water<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and in some areas are considered weeds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Evolution

The origin and early diversification of the Ulvophyceae likely took place in the late Neoproterozoic,<ref name="VerbruggenAshworth2009">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="CocquytVerbruggen2010">Template:Cite journal</ref> though may have taken place earlier, in the Mesoproterozoic.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Although most contemporary ulvophytes are marine macroalgae (seaweeds), ancestral ulvophytes may have been freshwater, unicellular green algae. Molecular phylogenetic evidence suggests that macroscopic growth was achieved independently in the various major lineages of Ulvophyceae (Ulvales-Ulotrichales, Trentepohliales, Cladophorales, Bryopsidales and Dasycladales).<ref name="CocquytVerbruggen2010" /> The earliest known representative is the cladophorales Proterocladus antiquus from the Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic boundary in North China.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Current hypothesis on relationships among the main clades of Ulvophyceae<ref name="leliaert">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="ŠkaloudKalina2013">Template:Cite journal</ref> are shown below.

See also

• List of Ulvophyceae genera