Diatoms of North AmericaDiatoms of North America

Glossary

Like the rest of this website, the glossary is a work in progress. If we’ve missed a term, please contact us to let us know the term and references.

Prostrate

Prostrate describes the growth habit of lying flat, firmly attached by mucilage to a surface. The genus Cocconeis has a prostrate growth habit. Example surfaces include rocks, filamentous algae, macrophytes, and even other diatoms.

Prostrate
Image Credit: Sarah Spaulding
Live cells of Cocconeis placentula growing on a rock. Mucilage pads protrude from under some of the cells. This diatom has a prostrate growth habit.
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