A QUESTION ABOUT A BASAL CELL

Oedocladium indicum,a new specics was published by N.D.Kamat in 1962 with a basal cell attached to the figures(type),and Oe.prescottii,another new species published by A.K.M.N.Islam in the same year without any basal cell in his figures.In 1969T.Mrozinska adopted both above mentioned species and their original figures as well without any significant modifications in her big volume"The Algal Flora of Poland".But unfortunatedly,in the"Flora of the Freshwater Algae of Middle Europe"VI,(1985)by the same author(edited by H.Ettl,et al.):Chlorophyceae:Oedogoniopliyceae,a questionable modification was made.The only basal cell was transfered from Oe.indicum to Oe.prescottii without any interpretation in the text.The precence or absence of a basal cell in the oedogoncous members is quite important.C.C.Jao considered that Oe.indicum should be classified as a Bulbochaete specics instead of a member of Oedocladium in his"Monographia Ocdogoniales Sinicae"(1979)because a basal cell is certainly a characteristic feature of both Bublbochaete and Oedogonium but not Oedocladium.