Derbesia is a
genus of
green algae, specifically of the
Derbesiaceae. The plant was originally known from different names applied to its larger
sporophyte,
Derbesia, and its less conspicuous
gametophyte,
Halicystis.
Derbesia was successfully cultured in the laboratories of
German phycologist Peter Kornmann to learn that both it and the plant
Halicystis were different parts of the
life cycle of the same organism.