Charophyte evolution and the origin of land plants

Abstract

Morphological, biochemical, and molecular data strongly suggest a common ancestry of land plants and Charophyceae sensu MATTOX & STEWART. Although it is now widely accepted that the Charophyceae are a sister group to the land plants, there is considerable disagreement over the systematics of different charophycean taxa and whether a Chara- or Coleochaete-like alga was ancestral to the land plants. Comparative analyses of complete 18S rRNA gene sequences of charophycean algae, together with sequences from bryophytes, pteridophytes and higher plants now confirm a common ancestry of charophytes and land plants. These data suggest that the Charales diverged early into a separate lineage, whereas other orders within the Charophyceae show close affinities to the bryophytes.