InAchnanthes lanceolata pairing occurs by chance in regard to the arrangement of the mother cells, inA. minutissima it is accomplished selectively: contact at the sides occupied by the nucleus is favoured very strongly. In contrast toA. exilis, pairing inA. minutissima occurs by detachment of both partner cells from their stalks, whileA. lanceolata has no stalks at all. The isogamous gamete fusion inA. lanceolata should be understood as a modification of the anisogamous behavior inA. minutissima andA. exilis. For the three species the same constant orientation of the primary cell in relation to the substratum and to the mother thecae is characteristic. The first epivalva always is the raphe valve. InA. lanceolata in connection with the property of the primary cell possessing two chromatophores resp. pyrenoids instead of one, the transapical heteropolarity of the rapheless valve, a specific character, changes to isopolarity. It seems that a sort of induction from the pyrenoids towards the formation of the rapheless valve is at work. InA. lanceolata the pseudoraphe shows a structure hitherto unknown.A. lanceolata “fo.ventricosaHust.” is to be eliminated. Var.rostrata (Ostrup)Hust. is a good taxon; two new differential characters are found.