Division | Rhodophyta |
Class | Florideophyceae |
Order | Rhodymeniales |
Family | Lomentariaceae |
Basionym | Gelidium variabile Greville ex J.Agardh |
Thalli erect 5-8cm in height and dark red in colour. Thalli firmly attached by thin, repeatedly branched stolons. Erect axes terete, stiff but flexible, towards apex slightly compressed; sparsely branched from below; branches simple, cylindrical with obtuse apices, 400-950 μm wide. Cross section of the thallus shows outer cortex composed of 2-4 layers of small cells. The medulla composed of hyaline cells measures 15–20 µm diameter and 45–80 µm long; rhizines lacking.
Ecology
Lithophytic, occurs in inter tidal to shallow subtidal regions
Distribution in India
Back Bay, Kolaba, Worli Seaface, Bandra, all at Bombay (Boergesen, 1935); Hare Island, Tuticorin, (Boergesen, 1938); Cape Comorin (Boergesen, 1937, leg. M.O.P. Iyengar, 1924); Karwar (leg. M.O.P. Iyengar, 1928); Lakshadweep (Mehta et al, 1980).