Raphides in the Uncalcified Siphonous Green Seaweed, Codium minus (Schmidt) P. C. Silva

Abstract

The vacuole of utricles, the outermost cell layer of the siphonous green seaweed, Codium minus , had numerous single needles and needle bundles. The crystals composing each needle appeared arranged in a twisted configuration, both ends were pointed, and each needle was contained in a matrix or membrane; bundles of needles appeared enclosed by a matrix. Chemical and electron diffraction analysis indicated that the needles consisted of calcium oxalate. This is the first paper on terrestrial plant-like raphides in an alga.