Botryococcaceae
{{Short description|Family of algae}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Botryococcus braunii.jpg
| image_caption = Botryococcus braunii
| taxon = Botryococcaceae
| authority = Wille, 1909{{AlgaeBase taxon|name=Botryococcaceae|id= 90752 |access-date=2024-12-19}}
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
}}
Botryococcaceae is a family of green algae in the class Trebouxiophyceae.See the NCBI [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=38879 webpage on Botryococcaceae]. Data extracted from the {{cite web | url=http://ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/pub/taxonomy/ | title=NCBI taxonomy resources | publisher=National Center for Biotechnology Information | accessdate=2007-03-19}}
Traditionally, Botryococcaceae has been defined on morphological grounds. Members of this family consist of irregular colonies of cells found free-floating or attached to a substrate. Cells are united by mucilaginous stalks that are formed by the gelatinization of the old parent cell walls. Cells may be spherical, ellipsoidal, or ovoid with a chloroplast with or without a pyrenoid. Reproduction occurs exclusively asexually by the formation of autospores.{{cite journal | title = Contribution to the taxonomic study of the family Botryococcaceae (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) in southern Spain | last1 = Fanés Treviño | first1 = Ingrid | last2 = Sánchez Castillo | first2 = Pedro | last3 = Comas González | first3 = Augusto | journal = Cryptogamie, Algologie | volume = 30 | date = 2009 | pages = 17–30 | url = https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/cryptogamie-algologie2009v30f1a2.pdf | accessdate = 12 September 2023}} However, molecular phylogenetic studies have found that some genera placed in Botryococcaceae based on morphology alone are unrelated to Botryococcus; the genus Dictyosphaerium is now placed in the family Chlorellaceae.{{cite journal | doi=10.1080/09670262.2010.487920 | title=Two new Dictyosphaerium-morphotype lineages of the Chlorellaceae (Trebouxiophyceae): Heynigia gen. nov. and Hindakia gen. nov. | date=2010 | last1=Bock | first1=Christina | last2=Pröschold | first2=Thomas | last3=Krienitz | first3=Lothar | journal=European Journal of Phycology | volume=45 | issue=3 | pages=267–277 | bibcode=2010EJPhy..45..267B }}