Desmidiales

Desmids (Gr. desmos, bond or chain) are an order (Desmidiales) in the Charophyta, a division of green algae that forms a sister group to the land plants (Embryophyta).

The desmids are often treated as members of the Zygnematales, as family Desmidiaceae. The Desmidiales comprise around 40 genera and 5,000 to 6,000 species, found mostly but not exclusively in fresh water. Many species may be found in the fissures between patches of sphagnum moss in marshes. With a pH level of approximately 4.0, sphagnum peat provides the ideal environment for this flora.