Culture studies have shown that two plants, until now believed to be different generations of Pringsheimiella scutata are in fact two different algae: Pringsheimiella scutata s. str. and a new genus and species Syncoryne reinkei. They have different life histories; P. scutata s. str. is probably haplo-diplontic, while S. reinkei is haplontic, reproducing only by zoospores. Further, hairs have only been observed in P. scutata, not in S. reinkei. Chromosome counts have shown n = 4 in both plants.