Seaweed Flora of the European North Atlantic and Mediterranean 6.3 Seaweeds Biodiversity and Potential 89
Part A | 6.3
growing from a discoid holdfast. The fronds are flat or
slightly cylindrical up to 20 cm in length and 0:5 cm in
diameter at the base, tapering toward the apex. The primary branching from the main frond occurs in a single
plane, and is alternately, yet irregularly spaced with up
to 1 cm between each branch. Each branch is bare at
the base, with the rest bearing an irregular and alternately arranged series of smaller secondary branches.
The secondary branches are progressively shorter toward the apex, and each branch bears numerous pointed
branchlets giving an overall tufted and feather-like appearance [6.395].
Habitat. On rocks and epiphytic, low intertidal pools
and sublittoral, southern and western shores, common
in the south, rare in the north.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Scandinavia to Portugal).
Uses and Compounds. Have high antioxidant activity [6.316].
Hypoglossum hypoglossoides (Stackhouse)
F.S. Collins & Hervey
Description. Membranous, rose-pink fronds, 20200
.300/ mm long, arising from a discoid base. Frond
linear-lanceolate, with well-marked midrib and thin
membranous margins, 15 .8/ mm wide, repeatedly
branched irregularly from midrib; fronds with pointed
apices, margins without microscopic veins, monostromatic except in midribs [6.396].
Habitat. On rocks and epiphytic, lower intertidal and
sublittoral to 30 m, most abundant in L. hyperborea
forests.
Distribution. NE and E Atlantic (Scandinavia to Portugal, Azores, Canary Islands, Cap Verde Islands);
NW and W Atlantic (North Carolina to West Indies):
Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Have antimicrobial activity [6.397].
Laurencia microcladia Kützing
Description. Thallus erect, flexible, soft texture, forming dense tufts up to 15 cm in length. The thallus
has greenish-yellow and pinkish apices easily visible.
Flaccid consistency does not adhere completely to the
herbarium sheet when dry; thalli fully cylindrical with
385410 m in diameter; branching irregularly, alternating, dense in the upper two-thirds of the plant, to
three branching orders. Adhered to the substrate by rhizoids, from which emerge branches ending in small
secondary locking disks [6.398].
Habitat. Present in the mid-littoral rock bottom and
up to 12 feet deep in the sublittoral exposed coasts.
Often found in very beaten but has also been collected
in puddles of lower mid-littoral and sublittoral.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (from France to Mauritania); Atlantic Islands (Azores, Canary Islands);
Mediterranean; NW Atlantic (USA); Caribbean; SW
Atlantic (Venezuela, Brazil).
Uses and Compounds. Have antimitotic and cytotoxic, [6.62, 399–403], antiparasitic [6.402, 404, 405],
and antifungal [6.62] activity.
Laurencia obtusa (Hudson)
J.V. Lamouroux
Description. Plants 1:52:5 cm tall, bushy, with
green or yellow axes and rose branchlets, main
stems long, which are sparingly alternately branched,
0:751:50 cm, but above are increasingly closely paniculately branched and spreading, the smallest branches
and the short, truncate, ultimate branchlets opposite or
subverticillate, 0:50:75 mm diameter; tetrasporangia
in a band below the apex of the hardly modified branchlets [6.406].
Habitat. On solid substrata, in extremely shallow locations in calm shallow water, also in exposed locations
within the intertidal zone.
Distribution. Worldwide in warm temperate to tropical seas.
Uses and Compounds. Have antibacterial [6.32,
407–410], antimalarial [6.411, 412], antitumor [6.316,
413, 414], antioxidant [6.316, 410, 415], and antifouling [6.416] activity.
Laurencia pyramidalis
Bory de Saint-Vincent ex Kützing
Description. Globose tufts of brittle, cartilaginous,
narrow, cylindrical, reddish brown to yellowishred fronds, 150 mm long, from small discoid base
(Fig. 6.17). Axis simple, branches patent, often opposite, spirally arranged, shorter toward apex giving
regular pyramidal outline [6.417].
Part A | 6.3
growing from a discoid holdfast. The fronds are flat or
slightly cylindrical up to 20 cm in length and 0:5 cm in
diameter at the base, tapering toward the apex. The primary branching from the main frond occurs in a single
plane, and is alternately, yet irregularly spaced with up
to 1 cm between each branch. Each branch is bare at
the base, with the rest bearing an irregular and alternately arranged series of smaller secondary branches.
The secondary branches are progressively shorter toward the apex, and each branch bears numerous pointed
branchlets giving an overall tufted and feather-like appearance [6.395].
Habitat. On rocks and epiphytic, low intertidal pools
and sublittoral, southern and western shores, common
in the south, rare in the north.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Scandinavia to Portugal).
Uses and Compounds. Have high antioxidant activity [6.316].
Hypoglossum hypoglossoides (Stackhouse)
F.S. Collins & Hervey
Description. Membranous, rose-pink fronds, 20200
.300/ mm long, arising from a discoid base. Frond
linear-lanceolate, with well-marked midrib and thin
membranous margins, 15 .8/ mm wide, repeatedly
branched irregularly from midrib; fronds with pointed
apices, margins without microscopic veins, monostromatic except in midribs [6.396].
Habitat. On rocks and epiphytic, lower intertidal and
sublittoral to 30 m, most abundant in L. hyperborea
forests.
Distribution. NE and E Atlantic (Scandinavia to Portugal, Azores, Canary Islands, Cap Verde Islands);
NW and W Atlantic (North Carolina to West Indies):
Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Have antimicrobial activity [6.397].
Laurencia microcladia Kützing
Description. Thallus erect, flexible, soft texture, forming dense tufts up to 15 cm in length. The thallus
has greenish-yellow and pinkish apices easily visible.
Flaccid consistency does not adhere completely to the
herbarium sheet when dry; thalli fully cylindrical with
385410 m in diameter; branching irregularly, alternating, dense in the upper two-thirds of the plant, to
three branching orders. Adhered to the substrate by rhizoids, from which emerge branches ending in small
secondary locking disks [6.398].
Habitat. Present in the mid-littoral rock bottom and
up to 12 feet deep in the sublittoral exposed coasts.
Often found in very beaten but has also been collected
in puddles of lower mid-littoral and sublittoral.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (from France to Mauritania); Atlantic Islands (Azores, Canary Islands);
Mediterranean; NW Atlantic (USA); Caribbean; SW
Atlantic (Venezuela, Brazil).
Uses and Compounds. Have antimitotic and cytotoxic, [6.62, 399–403], antiparasitic [6.402, 404, 405],
and antifungal [6.62] activity.
Laurencia obtusa (Hudson)
J.V. Lamouroux
Description. Plants 1:52:5 cm tall, bushy, with
green or yellow axes and rose branchlets, main
stems long, which are sparingly alternately branched,
0:751:50 cm, but above are increasingly closely paniculately branched and spreading, the smallest branches
and the short, truncate, ultimate branchlets opposite or
subverticillate, 0:50:75 mm diameter; tetrasporangia
in a band below the apex of the hardly modified branchlets [6.406].
Habitat. On solid substrata, in extremely shallow locations in calm shallow water, also in exposed locations
within the intertidal zone.
Distribution. Worldwide in warm temperate to tropical seas.
Uses and Compounds. Have antibacterial [6.32,
407–410], antimalarial [6.411, 412], antitumor [6.316,
413, 414], antioxidant [6.316, 410, 415], and antifouling [6.416] activity.
Laurencia pyramidalis
Bory de Saint-Vincent ex Kützing
Description. Globose tufts of brittle, cartilaginous,
narrow, cylindrical, reddish brown to yellowishred fronds, 150 mm long, from small discoid base
(Fig. 6.17). Axis simple, branches patent, often opposite, spirally arranged, shorter toward apex giving
regular pyramidal outline [6.417].