charophyte
A botanical term referring to green algae of the division Charophyta, often studied in plant evolution contexts.
Charophytes are thought to be closely related to the ancestors of land plants.
Compound of 車軸藻 (shajikumo, 'stonewort', a type of charophyte) and 植物 (shokubutsu, 'plant'). The exact derivation of 車軸藻 is uncertain, but it likely refers to the wheel-like arrangement of branches in some species.