Part A | 6.3
138 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
as Tsukudani). Kombu is also used to add flavor to
broths (Dashi stock) and stews but it removes itself removed from the liquid at the end of cooking and discarded. It can be used to soften beans
during cooking, and to help convert indigestible
sugars [6.4].
Extracts of this species have anticoagulant [6.512,
524], antifouling [6.916], antimicrobial [6.533, 816,
917], and antioxidant [6.429, 533, 860] activity.
Saccharina longicruris (Bachelot de la Pylaie)
Kuntze
Description. S. longicruris is a particularly tall species
of kelp. The hollow, cylindrical stipe itself can reach
up to 10 m long, plus the frond which adds another 1–2 m. The large branched holdfast grips firmly
to the rocky substrate allowing a single long, thin,
olive-brown, leafy blade to float near the surface.
The midsection of these blades is somewhat thicker,
but the edges spread and thin and become wide and
ruffled. S. longicruris is limited to the sublittoral
zone, but can be found either in shallow or in much
deeper waters, often preferring areas with a strong
flow. In this environment, it is a dominant part of
the seaweed community and forms dense multistory
forests with older plants forming a canopy of fronds
floating on the surface and younger plants protected
underneath [6.918].
Habitat. Horizontal distribution is determined to
a large extent by substratum type and salinity. In very
sheltered sites the species can occur on an unstable substratum of gravel and small stones.
Distribution. The species occurs widely throughout
the NW Atlantic and eastern Arctic Oceans, mostly
within Canadian territorial waters, and along the west
coast of Greenland north of 62
ı N. The species is rare
on the east coast of Greenland, but has been recorded
from Iceland, the Faeroes and as far south as Long
Sound on the Shetland Islands at the latitude of 60
ı N.
S. longicruris has not been recorded from the European
mainland.
Uses and Compounds. S. longicruris is an edible
species of kelp that is related to traditional Japanese
Kombu, but is thinner, tenderer, and cooked fastly.
It is high in minerals and micronutrients and is particularly delicious as it contains naturally occurring
monosodium glutamate – a little known feature of many
kelp species [6.918, 919].
Extracts have immunostimulatory [6.920], and skin
antiaging [6.921] activity.
Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightfoot) Batters
Common Name. Furbelows.
Description. S. polyschides is kelp species with a distinctive large warty holdfast and a flattened stipe with
a frilly margin (Fig. 6.56). The stipe is twisted at
the base and widens to form a large flat lamina,
which is divided into ribbon-like sections. The species
is an annual, and very fast growing. It is opportunistic and colonizes available hard substrata in the
sublittoral [6.1, 922].
Habitat. In the lower littoral, in calm shallow water to
19 m.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Norway to Morocco),
W Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Source of alginic acid,
and possible source of biofuel [6.380]. Extracts of
this species have hypoglycemic [6.923], antisettlement [6.360], cytotoxic, and antiplasmodial [6.924]
activity.
U. pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar
Common Name. Wakame.
Description. U. pinnatifida belongs to the order Laminariales, with three clearly recognizable parts comprising its visible thallus: blade, stipe, and holdfast.
The thallus can reach 1–3 m in length. The blade is
lanceolate and broad with a prominent midrib, and
translucent with color ranging from green to yellowish
brown to dark brown. The blade could also be described
as triangular and lobed (Fig. 6.58). The appearance
of the blade evolves and changes over time; it is initially simple, flattened, and broad with a pronounced
or distinct midrib; older plants have thicker blade tissue which splits horizontally down to the midrib to
form fingers or straps, becoming more transversally
lobed, and becomes pinnate with age. The margins of
the blade can also be described as wavy. The distal
portion of the blade and the straps eventually become
tattered. The stipe of U. pinnatifida is wavy or corrugated above the holdfast. The stipe is also usually
short (10–30 cm) in length and up to 1 cm in diameter)
and in mature plants bears convoluted wing-like reproductive outgrowths or frills (sporophylls). The stipe is
138 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
as Tsukudani). Kombu is also used to add flavor to
broths (Dashi stock) and stews but it removes itself removed from the liquid at the end of cooking and discarded. It can be used to soften beans
during cooking, and to help convert indigestible
sugars [6.4].
Extracts of this species have anticoagulant [6.512,
524], antifouling [6.916], antimicrobial [6.533, 816,
917], and antioxidant [6.429, 533, 860] activity.
Saccharina longicruris (Bachelot de la Pylaie)
Kuntze
Description. S. longicruris is a particularly tall species
of kelp. The hollow, cylindrical stipe itself can reach
up to 10 m long, plus the frond which adds another 1–2 m. The large branched holdfast grips firmly
to the rocky substrate allowing a single long, thin,
olive-brown, leafy blade to float near the surface.
The midsection of these blades is somewhat thicker,
but the edges spread and thin and become wide and
ruffled. S. longicruris is limited to the sublittoral
zone, but can be found either in shallow or in much
deeper waters, often preferring areas with a strong
flow. In this environment, it is a dominant part of
the seaweed community and forms dense multistory
forests with older plants forming a canopy of fronds
floating on the surface and younger plants protected
underneath [6.918].
Habitat. Horizontal distribution is determined to
a large extent by substratum type and salinity. In very
sheltered sites the species can occur on an unstable substratum of gravel and small stones.
Distribution. The species occurs widely throughout
the NW Atlantic and eastern Arctic Oceans, mostly
within Canadian territorial waters, and along the west
coast of Greenland north of 62
ı N. The species is rare
on the east coast of Greenland, but has been recorded
from Iceland, the Faeroes and as far south as Long
Sound on the Shetland Islands at the latitude of 60
ı N.
S. longicruris has not been recorded from the European
mainland.
Uses and Compounds. S. longicruris is an edible
species of kelp that is related to traditional Japanese
Kombu, but is thinner, tenderer, and cooked fastly.
It is high in minerals and micronutrients and is particularly delicious as it contains naturally occurring
monosodium glutamate – a little known feature of many
kelp species [6.918, 919].
Extracts have immunostimulatory [6.920], and skin
antiaging [6.921] activity.
Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightfoot) Batters
Common Name. Furbelows.
Description. S. polyschides is kelp species with a distinctive large warty holdfast and a flattened stipe with
a frilly margin (Fig. 6.56). The stipe is twisted at
the base and widens to form a large flat lamina,
which is divided into ribbon-like sections. The species
is an annual, and very fast growing. It is opportunistic and colonizes available hard substrata in the
sublittoral [6.1, 922].
Habitat. In the lower littoral, in calm shallow water to
19 m.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Norway to Morocco),
W Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. Source of alginic acid,
and possible source of biofuel [6.380]. Extracts of
this species have hypoglycemic [6.923], antisettlement [6.360], cytotoxic, and antiplasmodial [6.924]
activity.
U. pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar
Common Name. Wakame.
Description. U. pinnatifida belongs to the order Laminariales, with three clearly recognizable parts comprising its visible thallus: blade, stipe, and holdfast.
The thallus can reach 1–3 m in length. The blade is
lanceolate and broad with a prominent midrib, and
translucent with color ranging from green to yellowish
brown to dark brown. The blade could also be described
as triangular and lobed (Fig. 6.58). The appearance
of the blade evolves and changes over time; it is initially simple, flattened, and broad with a pronounced
or distinct midrib; older plants have thicker blade tissue which splits horizontally down to the midrib to
form fingers or straps, becoming more transversally
lobed, and becomes pinnate with age. The margins of
the blade can also be described as wavy. The distal
portion of the blade and the straps eventually become
tattered. The stipe of U. pinnatifida is wavy or corrugated above the holdfast. The stipe is also usually
short (10–30 cm) in length and up to 1 cm in diameter)
and in mature plants bears convoluted wing-like reproductive outgrowths or frills (sporophylls). The stipe is