The female gametangium of Tolypella nidifica A.Br.: a misinterpretation

The conclusion of Kausik & Bhattacharya (1971) that in the genus Tolypella there are two stalk cells in the female gametangium and only one such cell in Chara and Nitella is repudiated. Tolypella, Chara and Nitella have in fact one stalk cell, sometimes two. The “stalk cells” of Kausik and Bhattacharya are usually called sterile oogonium cells. Chara has one sterile oogonium cell, Nitella three, and Tolypella two. This confirms the intermediate position of Tolypella. In this connection the systematic position of gyrogonites (fossil remnants of female gametangia), rather generally referred to Tolypella, is discussed.