Phylum: Charophyta   Family: Desmidiaceae

Staurastrum tohopekaligense Wolle 1885

First described by Wolle (1885, p. 128, pl. 51: 4, 5) from Lake Tokopekaliga, Kissimmee, Florida. USA. It has since spawned a number of varieties, some based on the number of processes on the semicells, which can be quite variable. West & West (1895, p. 80, pl. 9: 8) described one of the varieties as Staurastrum tohopekaligense var. trifurcata. In their later flora (West, West and Carter 1923) they corrected the varietal name to trifucatum. This variety has now been subsumed into the nominate. Interestingly, this variety has been found in Sutherland, Scotland and in Lewis, Outer Hebrides. Named after Lake Tokopekaliga and derived from the Seminole Indians who lived nearby; it means: We will gather together here. A rare desmid that is hard to define geographically as it occurs in both hemispheres.

References: 
Wolle, F. (1885) Fresh-water algae. X.
West, W. & West, G.S. (1895) A contribution to our knowledge of the freshwater algae of Madagascar.
West, W., West, G.S. & Carter, N. (1923) A Monograph of the British Desmidiaceae, Volume 5.