alga

noun (plural algae /ˈaldʒiː, ˈalgiː/)

• a simple, non-flowering, and typically aquatic plant of a large assemblage that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms. Algae contain chlorophyll but lack true stems, roots, leaves, and vascular tissue.

  • Divisions Chlorophyta ( green algae), Heterokontophyta ( brown algae), and Rhodophyta ( red algae); some (or all) are frequently placed in the kingdom Protista