[4] Stauridium forms flat colonies, termed coenobia, of cells in powers of two, usually four, eight, or 16.

The marginal cells are trapezoidal, with (in S. tetras) or without (in S. privum) a V-shaped incision in the middle.

[5] Species of Stauridium have thin cell walls, so they tend not to preserve well in sediments.

[6] Although Stauridium was first described by August Carl Joseph Corda in 1839, for most of its history it was considered to be a synonym of Pediastrum.

In 2005, molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that Pediastrum sensu lato was paraphyletic with respect to Hydrodictyon.