Seaweed Flora of the European North Atlantic and Mediterranean 6.3 Seaweeds Biodiversity and Potential 93
Part A | 6.3
Atlantic (USA, Mexico); Caribbean; SW Atlantic; Indian Ocean; SE Pacific; Australia and New Zealand.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial [6.60, 421, 447–449], and antitumor [6.421] activity.
Vertebrata lanosa (Linnaeus) T.A. Christensen
Synonym. Polysiphonia lanosa (Linnaeus) Tandy.
Common Names. Wrack siphon weed, Many tubed
gable weed.
Description. V. lanosa is a filamentous red alga that
grows as an obligate epiphyte on Ascophyllum nodosum. The short, cylindrical, cartilaginous fronds form
beautiful dense reddish purple tufts along the ochre
colored thalli of their host. Branches of this alga are
dichotomous with pointed tips. Formerly classified as
Polysiphonia lanosa, it lacks the distinctive banded pattern typical of Polysiphonia species. As an obligate
epiphyte, V. lanosa cannot grow except attached to other
seaweed species by tiny structures called rhizoids that
grow into the tissue of the algal host. A. nodosum is
the most frequent host, though V. lanosa is sometimes
found on Fucus species such as F. vesiculosus as well,
so it is abundant where these species thrive [6.450].
Habitat. Hemi-parasitic on A. nodosum, more rarely
on F. vesiculosus, never on rock (appearances can be
deceptive as it can grow on old stalks of both species)
in the sheltered mid-littoral, generally distributed, usually abundant where Ascophyllum occurs. Vertebrata is
generally infected with a tiny, more or less colorless
parasitic red alga called Choreocolax polysiphoniae, to
which it is closely related [6.451].
Distribution. V. lanosa is fairly common in the N. Atlantic, along the coasts of North America and Europe.
Uses and Compounds. V. lanosa is valued for its
strong antioxidant and anticancer properties, used in
supplements and health and beauty products [6.450].
Extracts of this species have cytotoxic [6.452], antioxidant [6.453], antibacterial [6.454], antifungal [6.455],
and antifouling [6.373, 454] activity.
Order: Corallinales
Amphiroa beauvoisii J.V. Lamouroux
Description. More or less erect, sometimes bushy.
Size: 25 cm high. Branching: dichotomous, occasionally irregular. Intergenicula: tapered toward the base
and flattened at the apices (up to 3 mm long, the lower
diameter 0:60:65 mm, the upper diameter 0:4 mm)
apices characteristically knife-like and striped. Genicula: with 2 (34) rows of cells. Color of living specimen: pink, pink-violet. Color of dried specimen: pinkviolet to white [6.456].
Habitat. Like that of A. rigida, species of sheltered
environments, on sublittoral, from surface to 30 m
deep.
Distribution. Widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial activity [6.457].
Amphiroa cryptarthrodia Zanardini
Description. Thallus erect, bushy; endophytic base
on other calcareous algae (particularly on Lithophyllum species). Size: 24 cm high. Dichotomous branching, regular and geometric (angle of about 90
ı );
branch junctions usually not coinciding with intergenicula. Branches lying on different planes, slightly
swollen apices. Intergenicula cylindrical with rare annular swellings, tapered on the upper part of fronds
14 .4:5/ mm long, 0:250:6 mm in the lower diameter, upper diameter 0:150:18 mm. Dark red to pink
violet (rare), apart from lighter apices due to annular
ridges [6.458].
Habitat. On the rocks in sheltered waters where they
often form large lawns, in the same station of A. rigida
(but less frequently); also reported in tide pools.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (from France to Senegal);
Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Used on functional foods and
pharmaceuticals [6.205]; extracts have antifungal and
antimitotic activity [6.62].
Amphiroa fragilissima
Description. Thalli with dense cushion-like tufted
growth, very brittle to strong calcification; branches
cylindrical, thin, segmented, rather regularly forking,
sometimes also trichotomous, the angles between two
fork branches usually rather wide (broadly Y-shaped);
the segments are slightly swollen at the endings; yellowish red to whitish pink [6.32].
Part A | 6.3
Atlantic (USA, Mexico); Caribbean; SW Atlantic; Indian Ocean; SE Pacific; Australia and New Zealand.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial [6.60, 421, 447–449], and antitumor [6.421] activity.
Vertebrata lanosa (Linnaeus) T.A. Christensen
Synonym. Polysiphonia lanosa (Linnaeus) Tandy.
Common Names. Wrack siphon weed, Many tubed
gable weed.
Description. V. lanosa is a filamentous red alga that
grows as an obligate epiphyte on Ascophyllum nodosum. The short, cylindrical, cartilaginous fronds form
beautiful dense reddish purple tufts along the ochre
colored thalli of their host. Branches of this alga are
dichotomous with pointed tips. Formerly classified as
Polysiphonia lanosa, it lacks the distinctive banded pattern typical of Polysiphonia species. As an obligate
epiphyte, V. lanosa cannot grow except attached to other
seaweed species by tiny structures called rhizoids that
grow into the tissue of the algal host. A. nodosum is
the most frequent host, though V. lanosa is sometimes
found on Fucus species such as F. vesiculosus as well,
so it is abundant where these species thrive [6.450].
Habitat. Hemi-parasitic on A. nodosum, more rarely
on F. vesiculosus, never on rock (appearances can be
deceptive as it can grow on old stalks of both species)
in the sheltered mid-littoral, generally distributed, usually abundant where Ascophyllum occurs. Vertebrata is
generally infected with a tiny, more or less colorless
parasitic red alga called Choreocolax polysiphoniae, to
which it is closely related [6.451].
Distribution. V. lanosa is fairly common in the N. Atlantic, along the coasts of North America and Europe.
Uses and Compounds. V. lanosa is valued for its
strong antioxidant and anticancer properties, used in
supplements and health and beauty products [6.450].
Extracts of this species have cytotoxic [6.452], antioxidant [6.453], antibacterial [6.454], antifungal [6.455],
and antifouling [6.373, 454] activity.
Order: Corallinales
Amphiroa beauvoisii J.V. Lamouroux
Description. More or less erect, sometimes bushy.
Size: 25 cm high. Branching: dichotomous, occasionally irregular. Intergenicula: tapered toward the base
and flattened at the apices (up to 3 mm long, the lower
diameter 0:60:65 mm, the upper diameter 0:4 mm)
apices characteristically knife-like and striped. Genicula: with 2 (34) rows of cells. Color of living specimen: pink, pink-violet. Color of dried specimen: pinkviolet to white [6.456].
Habitat. Like that of A. rigida, species of sheltered
environments, on sublittoral, from surface to 30 m
deep.
Distribution. Widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial activity [6.457].
Amphiroa cryptarthrodia Zanardini
Description. Thallus erect, bushy; endophytic base
on other calcareous algae (particularly on Lithophyllum species). Size: 24 cm high. Dichotomous branching, regular and geometric (angle of about 90
ı );
branch junctions usually not coinciding with intergenicula. Branches lying on different planes, slightly
swollen apices. Intergenicula cylindrical with rare annular swellings, tapered on the upper part of fronds
14 .4:5/ mm long, 0:250:6 mm in the lower diameter, upper diameter 0:150:18 mm. Dark red to pink
violet (rare), apart from lighter apices due to annular
ridges [6.458].
Habitat. On the rocks in sheltered waters where they
often form large lawns, in the same station of A. rigida
(but less frequently); also reported in tide pools.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (from France to Senegal);
Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Used on functional foods and
pharmaceuticals [6.205]; extracts have antifungal and
antimitotic activity [6.62].
Amphiroa fragilissima
Description. Thalli with dense cushion-like tufted
growth, very brittle to strong calcification; branches
cylindrical, thin, segmented, rather regularly forking,
sometimes also trichotomous, the angles between two
fork branches usually rather wide (broadly Y-shaped);
the segments are slightly swollen at the endings; yellowish red to whitish pink [6.32].