Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 65. (Budapest 1973)
Kol, E.: Green snow from Haswel Island (Antarctica)
60 E. KOL Green snow caused by Chlorella antarctica WILLE was first collected by GAIN on Petermann Island in 1909. This microorganism was first described by WILLE under the name Chlorella ellipsoidea GERNECK f. antarctica f. n. (GAIN 1912). Chlorella green snow is hitherto known only from the Antarctica. The green snow of Haswel Island is a terrestrial snow. This explains the fact that it contains also algal species which I have cultured from the soil of Haswel Island (Table). Such are : Chlorella antarctica (FRITSCH) WILLE (Figs. 1 -8). the characteristic alga of this green snow. Of Prasiola crispa (LIGHTF.) MENEGH., I found only young plants in TITKOS'S 1900 and 1972 collections. This algal species arrives probably from the seashore onto the snow surfaces. Chlorella antarctica (FRITSCH) WILLE (Figs. 1-8) Sphaerical (diam. 3-24 p) or oval (4-6 p long, 3 - 4 p wide) cells. Chloroplast situated near cell wall; ceUs containing only minute amounts of starch and oil. Reproduction by 8—16 autospores. Autospores liberated either by bursting of autosporangial wall or by its gelatinisation. Autospores 3 p in diam., autosporangium 20 p in diam (Figs. 1 -8). This microorganism was first described by WILLE from GAIN'S snow sample collected on Petermann Island, Antarctica (GAIN 1912:183). Under the name Chlorella ellipsoidea GERNECK f. antarctica, its systematic place was defined between Chlorella vulgaris BERG and Chlorella ellipsoidea GERN. (GAIN 1912:183-184). Later WILLE (1928:399 -400) described it as Chlorella antarctica (FRITSCH) WILLE nom. n. (WILLE 1924:399, Tab. 27, Figs. 58-71), from the material collected by the Drygalsky Südpolar Expedition in 1901-1903, and stated it to be identical with Chlorella ellipsoidea GERN. f. antarctica WILLE. In this work, WILLE (1928) found the algal species Chlorella antarctica, mentioned above, identical with the microorganism described by FRITSCH as Chlorosphaera antarctica (1912:303, Pl. X, Figs. 2-6), and also highly similar to Pleurococcus antarcticus W. et G. S. WEST (W. and G. S. WEST, Brit. Antarct. Exp., London, 1911:276, Pl. XXIV, Figs. 49-51). described also from the Antarctica. In my opinion, Chlorosphaera antarctica FRITSCH is wholly different from Chlorella antarctica , as establishable from my snow culture. IMcnrochloris anomala JAMES var. antarctica KOL (Figs. 14-17) Cells sphaerical, diam. 6-12 p, cell wall thin, orange red, with one or more chloroplasts, without pyrenoid. Cell-sap orange red. Reproduction by autospores and zoospores. Autosporangium 20-25 p in diam., \vith 16-64 autospores developing (Figs. 14-17), liberated by bursting or gelatinisation of autosporangial wall. Zoosporangium 20-22 p in diam. (Figs. 14-16). with the formation of a very great number of zoospores (Fig. lö). This microorganism was first described by KOL (1968b) from the soil of Haswel Island. It is interesting to note that I found great masses of this algal species, in the green snow collected in the same locality in 1972.
