In 1980 the late Ted Williams of Leicester sent me a preserved sample from Llyn Dwythwch, North Wales which contained quite a number of desmid species. The one that really caught my eye was the Micrasterias furcata Ralfs 1844. This species is in The Desmids of the English Lake District 1980 Lind & Brook, as M. radiata Hass 1845. It is usual to use the earliest published name.

This sample started me trying to specialise in the study of the desmids. The selection of Micrasterias shown here have been photographed over a period of twenty years. (It only includes those taken on print film.) Most have been taken with a second-hand Praktica with a home made camera to microscope adapter, a couple of more recent ones were taken with a webcam with its lens removed and attached to my Nikon Skt.

All comments to the author Bill Ells are welcomed.
 
 

M. fimbriata	M. furcata = (M. radiata)
M. furcata	M. brachyptera
M. truncata	M. crux-melitensis Also Staurastrum & Pleurotaenium
M. radiosa = M. sol.	M. pinnatifida
M. thomasiana	M. mahabuleshwarensis
M. conferta (Rarest of the genus? According to  W.& G.S.West.)	M. jennerii
M. oscitans	M. apiculata