Vaucheria

Vaucheria is a genus of Xanthophyceae or yellow-green algae. It is one of only two genera in the family Vaucheriaceae. The type species of the genus is Vaucheria disperma.

Vaucheria exhibits apical growth from the tip of filaments forming mats in either terrestrial or freshwater environments. Its filaments form coenocytes with a large central vacuole pushing against the surrounding cytoplasm; the vacuole extends along the entire filament except for the growing tip. The chloroplasts are located on the periphery of the cytoplasm with the nuclei aggregating toward the center near the vacuole.