Seaweed Flora of the European North Atlantic and Mediterranean 6.3 Seaweeds Biodiversity and Potential 135
Part A | 6.3
for antiaging body creams, foot creams, bath soaks,
body and face masks, body polish, UV-protecting facial moisturizers, self-tanning lotions, lip balm, dayand night-creams, and nutritional supplements to name
a few. In Canada and the United States, this seaweed is sometimes sold as Atlantic Wakame and is
presented as an alternative to traditional Japanese
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida). A. esculenta also has
potential as a foodstuff in aquaculture for herbivorous molluscs such as abalone. Over 20 sellers with
over 70 A. esculenta-based products have been identified. These sellers are from Germany, Italy, France,
Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, and the United
States [6.4, 896, 897].
Chorda filum (Linnaeus) Stackhouse
Common Names. Sea lace; dead man’s rope; mermaid’s tresses; Cat gut.
Description. C. filum is a brown seaweed with long
cord-like fronds, only 5 mm thick in diameter. The
fronds are hollow, slippery, unbranched, and grow up
to 8 m long. The species is attached to the substratum
using a small discoid holdfast. It is an annual species,
disappearing in winter [6.898, 899].
Habitat. It is found in rock pools on the low shore
and in the sublittoral down to 5 m. It is most commonly
found in the sheltered bay.
Distribution. Abundant throughout the North Atlantic, on the shores of Europe and America, coast
of Brazil, and also in the North Pacific, at Sitka, Unalaschka, and Kamtschatka.
Uses and Compounds. C. filum is used fresh as
a foodstuff, and for animal feed [6.898]. This species
produces alginate and fucoidan, and have antimicrobial [6.474, 546, 844, 898, 900], algicidal [6.257], anticoagulant [6.524], and antioxidant [6.474] activity.
Laminaria digitata (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux
Description. A large conspicuous kelp growing up to
2 m in length commonly found at low water during
spring tides on rocky shores. The frond is broad and digitate, glossy and dark brown in color and lacks a midrib.
The stipe is oval in cross section, smooth and flexible
and is usually free of epiphytes, although old stipes
which has become slightly roughened may support
a few epiphytes, notably Palmaria palmata. The kelp is
attached to freely branched haptera, which spread out to
form a shallow dome-shaped holdfast. L. digitata may
be confused with young L. hyperborea plants. However,
the stipe of L. hyperborea is circular in cross section, is
stiff, and snaps easily when bent (although you would
not see that in younger fronds) [6.901, 902].
Habitat. On rocks from the low water spring tide level
to the shallow sublittoral. In some locations, L. digitata
may be found in deeper water.
Distribution. L. digitata is a North Atlantic Arcticcold-temperate species which does not occur in the
North Pacific. It is found along both coasts of the
English Channel; the southernmost occurrence of this
species in European waters is on the southern coasts of
Brittany. It grows along most coasts of Britain and Ireland, and along the North Sea coasts of Scandinavia.
Its northerly range includes into the Barents Sea and
the western shores of Novaya Zemlya, and has been reported to occur in the Svarlbard Archipelago. L. digitata
also grows in Iceland, the Faeroes, southern Greenland,
and the eastern coasts of North America, as far south as
Cape Cod.
Uses and Compounds. L. digitata plants contain
minerals, vitamins, and trace elements. These include iodine, calcium, potassium, iron, carotene, alginic
acid, laminaran, fucoidan, mannitol, protein, carotene,
niacin, phosphorus, the B complex vitamins, vitamin
C, and many other trace elements. This species stores
flavor-enhancing glutamic acid, or sodium glutamate,
which imparts a mellow, silky taste to dishes. The
slight sweet background is mannitol, a natural sugar.
In terms of relatives, L. digitata is closely related to
the five species (Saccharina latissima, S. japonica, L.
angustata, L. longissima, and L. ochotensis) typically
harvested as Kombu in Japan, and is frequently harvested and sold as Kombu in North America. Many
recipes calling for Kombu could be made with this form
of kelp [6.901–906].
Extracts of this species have antibacterial [6.371],
and antioxidant [6.766] activity.
L. hyperborea (Gunnerus) Foslie
Common Name. Oarweed.
Description. L. hyperborea is often difficult to distinguish from L. digitata, particularly when plants are
young (Fig. 6.56). However, the stipe of L. digitata is
darker and usually oval in cross section instead of cylindrical, is not thicker at the base, does not snap easily,
Part A | 6.3
for antiaging body creams, foot creams, bath soaks,
body and face masks, body polish, UV-protecting facial moisturizers, self-tanning lotions, lip balm, dayand night-creams, and nutritional supplements to name
a few. In Canada and the United States, this seaweed is sometimes sold as Atlantic Wakame and is
presented as an alternative to traditional Japanese
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida). A. esculenta also has
potential as a foodstuff in aquaculture for herbivorous molluscs such as abalone. Over 20 sellers with
over 70 A. esculenta-based products have been identified. These sellers are from Germany, Italy, France,
Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, and the United
States [6.4, 896, 897].
Chorda filum (Linnaeus) Stackhouse
Common Names. Sea lace; dead man’s rope; mermaid’s tresses; Cat gut.
Description. C. filum is a brown seaweed with long
cord-like fronds, only 5 mm thick in diameter. The
fronds are hollow, slippery, unbranched, and grow up
to 8 m long. The species is attached to the substratum
using a small discoid holdfast. It is an annual species,
disappearing in winter [6.898, 899].
Habitat. It is found in rock pools on the low shore
and in the sublittoral down to 5 m. It is most commonly
found in the sheltered bay.
Distribution. Abundant throughout the North Atlantic, on the shores of Europe and America, coast
of Brazil, and also in the North Pacific, at Sitka, Unalaschka, and Kamtschatka.
Uses and Compounds. C. filum is used fresh as
a foodstuff, and for animal feed [6.898]. This species
produces alginate and fucoidan, and have antimicrobial [6.474, 546, 844, 898, 900], algicidal [6.257], anticoagulant [6.524], and antioxidant [6.474] activity.
Laminaria digitata (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux
Description. A large conspicuous kelp growing up to
2 m in length commonly found at low water during
spring tides on rocky shores. The frond is broad and digitate, glossy and dark brown in color and lacks a midrib.
The stipe is oval in cross section, smooth and flexible
and is usually free of epiphytes, although old stipes
which has become slightly roughened may support
a few epiphytes, notably Palmaria palmata. The kelp is
attached to freely branched haptera, which spread out to
form a shallow dome-shaped holdfast. L. digitata may
be confused with young L. hyperborea plants. However,
the stipe of L. hyperborea is circular in cross section, is
stiff, and snaps easily when bent (although you would
not see that in younger fronds) [6.901, 902].
Habitat. On rocks from the low water spring tide level
to the shallow sublittoral. In some locations, L. digitata
may be found in deeper water.
Distribution. L. digitata is a North Atlantic Arcticcold-temperate species which does not occur in the
North Pacific. It is found along both coasts of the
English Channel; the southernmost occurrence of this
species in European waters is on the southern coasts of
Brittany. It grows along most coasts of Britain and Ireland, and along the North Sea coasts of Scandinavia.
Its northerly range includes into the Barents Sea and
the western shores of Novaya Zemlya, and has been reported to occur in the Svarlbard Archipelago. L. digitata
also grows in Iceland, the Faeroes, southern Greenland,
and the eastern coasts of North America, as far south as
Cape Cod.
Uses and Compounds. L. digitata plants contain
minerals, vitamins, and trace elements. These include iodine, calcium, potassium, iron, carotene, alginic
acid, laminaran, fucoidan, mannitol, protein, carotene,
niacin, phosphorus, the B complex vitamins, vitamin
C, and many other trace elements. This species stores
flavor-enhancing glutamic acid, or sodium glutamate,
which imparts a mellow, silky taste to dishes. The
slight sweet background is mannitol, a natural sugar.
In terms of relatives, L. digitata is closely related to
the five species (Saccharina latissima, S. japonica, L.
angustata, L. longissima, and L. ochotensis) typically
harvested as Kombu in Japan, and is frequently harvested and sold as Kombu in North America. Many
recipes calling for Kombu could be made with this form
of kelp [6.901–906].
Extracts of this species have antibacterial [6.371],
and antioxidant [6.766] activity.
L. hyperborea (Gunnerus) Foslie
Common Name. Oarweed.
Description. L. hyperborea is often difficult to distinguish from L. digitata, particularly when plants are
young (Fig. 6.56). However, the stipe of L. digitata is
darker and usually oval in cross section instead of cylindrical, is not thicker at the base, does not snap easily,