Las algas verdes o Chlorophyta sensu lato es el grupo parafilético de las algas estrechamente relacionadas con las plantas terrestres. Algunas fuentes usan aún el término Chlorophyta y más antiguamente Chlorophyceae, pero luego estos términos se han usado para delimitar subgrupos, de tal manera que el grupo de "algas verdes" como taxón ha devenido en informal, considerándose que taxonómicamente incluye a los grupos de algas Chlorophyta y Charophyta. Como algas verdes se han descrito hasta ahora unas 10.000 especies diferentes, siendo las más diversas de todas las algas. Aunque se encuentran también en los mares, son más diversas en las aguas continentales (agua dulce) abarcando una amplia variedad de hábitat. Muchas son unicelulares, frecuentemente flageladas, pero otras desarrollan formas pluricelulares que nunca son muy complejas. Hay presencia de pigmentos como clorofila a y b, β-caroteno y xantófilas, además de sustancias de reserva (almidón), tal como se encuentra también en las plantas terrestres (reino Plantae stricto sensu), lo que revela su parentesco con ellas. Hoy en día se admite que las plantas terrestres derivan de algas verdes dulceacuícolas de la clase Charophyceae.

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The green algae (singular: green alga) are a large, informal grouping of algae consisting of the Chlorophyte and Charophyte algae, which are now placed in separate Divisions. The land plants or Embryophytes are thought to have emerged from the Charophytes. Therefore, cladistically, Embryophytes belong to green algae as well. However, as the Embryophytes are traditionally classified as neither algae nor green algae, green algae are a paraphyletic group. The clade that includes both green algae and embryophytes is monophyletic and is referred to as the clade Viridiplantae and as the kingdom Plantae. The green algae include unicellular and colonial flagellates, most with two flagella per cell, as well as various colonial, coccoid and filamentous forms, and macroscopic, multicellular seaweeds. In the Charales, the closest relatives of higher plants, full cellular differentiation of tissues occurs. There are about 8,000 species of green algae. Many species live most of their lives as single cells, while other species form coenobia (colonies), long filaments, or highly differentiated macroscopic seaweeds. A few other organisms rely on green algae to conduct photosynthesis for them. The chloroplasts in euglenids and chlorarachniophytes were acquired from ingested green algae, and in the latter retain a nucleomorph (vestigial nucleus). Green algae are also found symbiotically in the ciliate Paramecium, and in Hydra viridissima and in flatworms. Some species of green algae, particularly of genera Trebouxia of the class Trebouxiophyceae and Trentepohlia (class Ulvophyceae), can be found in symbiotic associations with fungi to form lichens. In general the fungal species that partner in lichens cannot live on their own, while the algal species is often found living in nature without the fungus. Trentepohlia is a filamentous green alga that can live independently on humid soil, rocks or tree bark or form the photosymbiont in lichens of the family Graphidaceae.

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