SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OFSPHAEROPLEA(CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

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Abstract
A systematic investigation of the genusSphaeropleawas conducted using cladistic analyses of both structural and isozyme characters for the same set of taxa. The structural data were not able to fully resolve some of the taxa while the isozyme data did produce a tree in which all nodes were supported by data. The structural characters were relatively consistent with one another, whereas the isozyme characters were much less internally consistent. Results from independent, cladistic analyses of both data sets support the concept that among thoseSphaeropleaspecies investigated,S. fragilisBuchheim et Hoffman had an early divergence. The two data sets differed primarily in that the structural data support monophyly of the genusSphaeropleaand the isozyme data do not. The greater relative consistency of the structural data suggests better support for trees inferred from its analysis. Furthermore, searches for character congruence between the two data sets revealed isozyme data which support monophyly of the genusSphaeroplea, but had been overwhelmed by conflicting isozyme characters.