Part A | 6.3
126 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
Habitat. Occurs in mid-littoral pools and sheltered
places.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Scotland and Ireland to
Senegal, Cap Verde Islands); Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial activity [6.60].
Cystoseira humilis Schousboe ex Kützing
Description. Characterized by highly differentiated
basal and apical regions and the presence of catenate pneumatocysts (air vesicles). In old plants they
have an elongated main axis, and in time the primary
laterals become proportionally elongated. Their lower
parts are strongly flattened into foliar expansions or
basal leaves. Fertile regions which bear conceptacles
are known as receptacles. These are normally found at
the tips of the branches. Their basal and apical regions
are highly differentiated. They have catenated pnuematocysts (air vesicles). The aerocyst or air vesicles
keep the organism erect, by causing it to float in strong
currents [6.800].
Habitat. Occurs in mid-littoral pools and sheltered
places.
Distribution. One of the most widely distributed genera of the Fucales order and provides an essential habitat for many epiphytes, invertebrates, and fish. Found
mostly in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, such as the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian, and
Pacific Oceans.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial activity [6.96, 171, 269].
Cystoseira mediterranea Sauvageau
Description. C. mediterranea has an upright thallus,
with a single cylindrical main axis; irregular ramifications are present with the alga reaching a height of
400 mm. The receptacles are short and cylindrical, and
whilst it has gas-filled vesicles, it is lacking in tophules.
The main axis has a relatively soft texture, whilst the
outer extremities are rough, almost spiny. It is a brown
to olive green color and displays a bluish green iridescence when submerged [6.801].
Habitat. Grows in wave-exposed or moderately exposed places, in the upper sublittoral zone, always near
the surface.
Distribution. Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antitumor [6.62, 421], antimicrobial [6.96, 276, 284, 421],
andantifungal [6.62, 276] activity.
Cystoseira nodicaulis (Withering) M. Roberts
Common Name. Bushy noduled wrack.
Description. Thallus to 1 m long, usually solitary, attached by a irregular conical disk. Axis cylindrical
usually branched, with smooth, rounded apex immersed
between bases or tophules of developing laterals. Lateral branch systems (below) radial or distichous, with
greenish-blue iridescence when first formed, about
50 cm long, repeatedly branched in a pinnate manner,
either regularly or irregularly, with infrequent cryptostomata and bearing spine-like appendages; deciduous in summer; first-formed laterals of the season
with tophules, later without; tophules ovoid, to 15 mm
long, smooth or covered with small tubercles, persistent on axis after rest of lateral has been shed.
Receptacles formed in the ultimate branchlets, simple or branched, nodose, usually bearing spine-like
appendages; air vesicles inconspicuous, dilations of ultimate branchlets, solitary, in series or confluent; sometimes absent [6.802].
Habitat. Found in large intertidal rock pools and lagoons, often with C. tamariscifolia and C. baccata.
Distribution. Southern and western shores of Britain
and Ireland, north to the Argyll in Scotland; Atlantic
France and Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands, Morocco,
south to Mauritania.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antileukemia
activity [6.803].
Cystoseira spinosa Sauvageau
Description. Plant with a single axis, to 3040 cm in
height. Axis simple, to 2030 cm hight: Apex of the
axis not prominent and with spines; tophules spinose
and oblong; branches both cylindrical and completely
flattened, the latter with a pronouced midrib. Spinose
appendages more abundantly present in the cylindrical
than in the flattened branches; aerocysts absent [6.799].
Habitat. Occurs in the lower sublittoral zone.
Distribution. Mediterranean.
126 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
Habitat. Occurs in mid-littoral pools and sheltered
places.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Scotland and Ireland to
Senegal, Cap Verde Islands); Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial activity [6.60].
Cystoseira humilis Schousboe ex Kützing
Description. Characterized by highly differentiated
basal and apical regions and the presence of catenate pneumatocysts (air vesicles). In old plants they
have an elongated main axis, and in time the primary
laterals become proportionally elongated. Their lower
parts are strongly flattened into foliar expansions or
basal leaves. Fertile regions which bear conceptacles
are known as receptacles. These are normally found at
the tips of the branches. Their basal and apical regions
are highly differentiated. They have catenated pnuematocysts (air vesicles). The aerocyst or air vesicles
keep the organism erect, by causing it to float in strong
currents [6.800].
Habitat. Occurs in mid-littoral pools and sheltered
places.
Distribution. One of the most widely distributed genera of the Fucales order and provides an essential habitat for many epiphytes, invertebrates, and fish. Found
mostly in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, such as the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian, and
Pacific Oceans.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial activity [6.96, 171, 269].
Cystoseira mediterranea Sauvageau
Description. C. mediterranea has an upright thallus,
with a single cylindrical main axis; irregular ramifications are present with the alga reaching a height of
400 mm. The receptacles are short and cylindrical, and
whilst it has gas-filled vesicles, it is lacking in tophules.
The main axis has a relatively soft texture, whilst the
outer extremities are rough, almost spiny. It is a brown
to olive green color and displays a bluish green iridescence when submerged [6.801].
Habitat. Grows in wave-exposed or moderately exposed places, in the upper sublittoral zone, always near
the surface.
Distribution. Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antitumor [6.62, 421], antimicrobial [6.96, 276, 284, 421],
andantifungal [6.62, 276] activity.
Cystoseira nodicaulis (Withering) M. Roberts
Common Name. Bushy noduled wrack.
Description. Thallus to 1 m long, usually solitary, attached by a irregular conical disk. Axis cylindrical
usually branched, with smooth, rounded apex immersed
between bases or tophules of developing laterals. Lateral branch systems (below) radial or distichous, with
greenish-blue iridescence when first formed, about
50 cm long, repeatedly branched in a pinnate manner,
either regularly or irregularly, with infrequent cryptostomata and bearing spine-like appendages; deciduous in summer; first-formed laterals of the season
with tophules, later without; tophules ovoid, to 15 mm
long, smooth or covered with small tubercles, persistent on axis after rest of lateral has been shed.
Receptacles formed in the ultimate branchlets, simple or branched, nodose, usually bearing spine-like
appendages; air vesicles inconspicuous, dilations of ultimate branchlets, solitary, in series or confluent; sometimes absent [6.802].
Habitat. Found in large intertidal rock pools and lagoons, often with C. tamariscifolia and C. baccata.
Distribution. Southern and western shores of Britain
and Ireland, north to the Argyll in Scotland; Atlantic
France and Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands, Morocco,
south to Mauritania.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antileukemia
activity [6.803].
Cystoseira spinosa Sauvageau
Description. Plant with a single axis, to 3040 cm in
height. Axis simple, to 2030 cm hight: Apex of the
axis not prominent and with spines; tophules spinose
and oblong; branches both cylindrical and completely
flattened, the latter with a pronouced midrib. Spinose
appendages more abundantly present in the cylindrical
than in the flattened branches; aerocysts absent [6.799].
Habitat. Occurs in the lower sublittoral zone.
Distribution. Mediterranean.