Mesostigmatophyceae

Mesostigmatophyceae
Scientific classification
Clade: Viridiplantae
Division: Charophyta
Class: Mesostigmatophyceae
Marin & Melkonian, 1999
Type species
Mesostigma viride Lauterborn

The Mesostigmatophyceae are a class of basal green algae found in freshwater. In a narrow circumscription, the class contains a single genus, Mesostigma. AlgaeBase then places the class within its circumscription of Charophyta. A clade containing Chlorokybus and Spirotaenia may either be added, or treated as a sister, with Chlorokybus placed in a separate class, Chlorokybophyceae. When broadly circumscribed, Mesostigmatophyceae may be placed as sister to all other green algae, or as sister to all Streptophyta.