What is the difference between algae and Chara and how should I
treat them? Veronica – Savannah, GA To an entomologist, the
differences between a cockroach and a termite may be a subject
of profound fascination. However, to a homeowner, they’re both
insect problems. If you have them, you sure as heck want to get
rid of them – and the sooner the better. Likewise, when the
seasoned water biologist sees filamentous algae floating on the
surface of a pond, he can probably identify the strain —
Spirogyra, Oscillatoria, Pithophora, Anabaena or perhaps some
combination thereof. Just beneath the surface, he might point
out the gray-green, cylindrical branches of Chara, another form
of algae that is often mistaken for a submerged flowering plant,
except it has no flower and no defined root system. Most of you
would probably find this at least mildly interesting, unless, of
course, the biologist is talking about your pond. Where he sees
variations of filamentous algae, you see ‘pond scum’:what he
identifies as Chara, y