Biotemplates from microbial origin have been used as a new source of inspiration for designing and fabricating novel functional materials. Herein, we reported a novel MnO/C microtubes prepared by using spirogyra, a green algae growing widely in natural water, as the template. Due to the unique filamentous shape and abundant organism of spirogyra, a porous carbon tube with wrinkle surface has been fabricated. The MnO nanoparticles are set and embedded into the porous carbon matrix, which leads to the tube-like MnO/C composite materials. The as-prepared spirogyra-templated MnO/C microtubes exhibit a reversible electrochemical lithium storage capacity as high as 610 mAh g(-1) at 200 mA g(-1) after 60 cycles, and an excellent rate capability of 350 mAh g(-1) at a high current density of 2 A g(-1). Considering the vast options of natural materials, this green, facile and economic biotemplating method will provide considerable freedom in structural and functional variability which can be extended to other promising high performance anode materials for the future development of novel energy storage materials. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.