Valves broadly lanceolate to elliptic, with broadly rounded ends. The axial area is lanceolate and the valve face is flat. The valve face/mantle junction forms a sharp angle. The abvalvar edge of the mantle is parallel to the valve face/mantle junction. In girdle view, frustules are rectangular. Cells form short ribbon-like colonies, joined by linking spines. Striae are distinct, composed of round areolae that decrease in diameter toward the axial area, 12-15 in 10 µm. Striae are parallel in the central area to radiate toward the ends. The striae extend onto the valve mantle, but are interrupted by spines at the valve face/mantle junction. Costae are wider than the striae. Spines are spatulate. Spines are present along the valve face edge, except at the apices and are located on the striae. Small, ocellulimbus type, apical pore fields with round poroids are present on both valve apices. Pore fields are located on junction between valve face/mantle. Rimoportulae are absent. Copulae, or girdle bands, are open and not perforated. Valvocopulum (first girdle band) is wider than the rest of the girdle elements.
Frustula cingulari aspectu rectangularia, catenas formantia. Valvae lineari-ellipticae apicibus isopolaribus late rotundatis, 3-12 µm longae, 2-4 µm latae. Area axialis variabilis angusta ad late lanceolato-elliptica, area centralis abest. Striae transapicales punctatae parallelae vel modice radiantes positae, 12-15 in 10 µm.
Morales, E. (2011). Pseudostaurosira neoelliptica. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://diatoms.org/species/pseudostaurosira_neoelliptica
The 15 response plots show an environmental variable (x axis) against the relative abundance (y axis) of Pseudostaurosira neoelliptica from all the stream reaches where it was present. Note that the relative abundance scale is the same on each plot. Explanation of each environmental variable and units are as follows:
ELEVATION = stream reach elevation (meters)
STRAHLER = distribution plot of the Strahler Stream Order
SLOPE = stream reach gradient (degrees)
W1_HALL = an index that is a measure of streamside (riparian) human activity that ranges from 0 - 10, with a value of 0 indicating of minimal disturbance to a value of 10 indicating severe disturbance.
PHSTVL = pH measured in a sealed syringe sample (pH units)
log_COND = log concentration of specific conductivity (µS/cm)
log_PTL = log concentration of total phosphorus (µg/L)
log_NO3 = log concentration of nitrate (µeq/L)
log_DOC = log concentration of dissolved organic carbon (mg/L)
log_SIO2 = log concentration of silicon (mg/L)
log_NA = log concentration of sodium (µeq/L)
log_HCO3 = log concentration of the bicarbonate ion (µeq/L)
EMBED = percent of the stream substrate that is embedded by sand and fine sediment
log_TURBIDITY = log of turbidity, a measure of cloudiness of water, in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU).
DISTOT = an index of total human disturbance in the watershed that ranges from 1 - 100, with a value of 0 indicating of minimal disturbance to a value of 100 indicating severe disturbance.