Grateloupia filicina (J.V.Lamouroux) C.Agardh 1822


Division     Rhodophyta
Class     Florideophyceae
Order     Halymeniales
Family    Grateloupiaceae
Basionym     Delesseria filicina J.V.Lamouroux
SynonymFucus filicinus Wulfen; Phoracis filicina Rafinesque; Sporochnus pennatula Pöppig ex Sprengel; Halymenia ramentacea Delle Chiaje; Grateloupia filicina var. multifida Meneghini; Grateloupia filicina var. cylindricaulis Solier; Grateloupia filicina var. simplex Solier; Grateloupia pennatula (Poppig) Kützing; Grateloupia filicina var. congesta P.Crouan & H. Crouan; Grateloupia filicina var. bipinnata P.Crouan & H.Crouan; Grateloupia avalonae E.Y. Dawson

    Thallus erect, up to 20cm height, brownish violet to dark red colour, firm and lubricous, attached by small discoid holdfasts. Fronds one to several, sub-cylindrical or compressed to occasionally flat, upper one third simple, the basal portion with lateral branches; branching monopodial and highly variable; primary fronds1-3(5) mm broad, the marginal branchlets sub-distichous and somewhat narrow, often only 200µm width. Thallus 150-200µm; medullary filaments are loosely entangled, 3-4 µm diameter, inner cortex 2-4 layered, the cells stellate irregular to round, 15-20µm diameter; outer cortex 2-5 layered, compact, cells in anticlinal rows small and scattered, elongate ovoid, 35-40µm and 18-20µm broad. Cystocarps scattered, immerse, subspherical, 180-200µm, carpospores rounded, 18-20µm diameter.