[3] Dictyosphaerium consists of irregular colonies of 4 to 64 cells in a common mucilaginous envelope 10–100 μm wide.

Cells are roughly spherical to ellipsoidal, 1-10 μm in diameter, with one nucleus and a single pyrenoid-containing chloroplast.

[5] However, molecular phylogenetic studies have demonstrated that Dictyosphaerium is closely related to the unicellular genus Chlorella, and is now currently placed in the family Chlorellaceae.

[1] Additionally, the morphotype of Dictyosphaerium (consisting of branching strands of mucilage connecting cells) is known to be polyphyletic, having evolved multiple times.

[7] Other similar genera include Compactochlorella, Kalenjinia, Marasphaerium, Masaia,[2] Hindakia, Heynigia,[8] and Xerochlorella.