Part A | 6.3
140 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
[6.935], antiplasmodial [6.936], anti-osteoporotic
[6.937], anti-inflammatory [6.938], antiobesity
[6.939, 940], antihypertensive [6.941], and antithrombotic [6.942] activity.
Order: Ralfsiales
Ralfsia verrucosa (J.E. Areschoug)
J.E. Areschoug
Description. R. verrucosa is an olive brown to khaki
encrusting brown seaweed that occurs abundantly in
low shore tide pools. Here it often forms large, flat,
smooth expanses giving the impression that someone
had accidentally dropped khaki paint into the tide pools.
R. verrucosa can occur in high abundance because
of its relatively fast growth rate and also because it
produces a chemical which seems to deter most grazers [6.943].
Habitat. Saxicolous, mid-littoral.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Ireland and Britain to
Morocco); SE Atlantic (South Africa); NW Atlantic
(Canada, USA); SW Atlantic (Argentina); Mediterranean; Indo-Pacific; Australia.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial
and antifouling activity [6.944].
Order: Sphacelariales
Cladostephus spongiosus (Hudson)
C. Agardh
Description. Fairly stiffly branched fronds growing
from a crust-like discoid holdfast, covered with small
branchlets arranged in whorls (Fig. 6.59); maximum
length is usually about 15 cm [6.945].
Habitat. On firm substrata in the intertidal zone.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Iceland to Morocco);
Mediterranean, Indian Ocean; Australasia; Antarctica,
Sub-Antarctic Islands.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial activity [6.171, 201].
Halopteris filicina (Grateloup) Kützing
Description. Compressed, tufted, dark purplish brown
fronds, to 120 mm high, main axis 14 mm broad. Once
or twice pinnate, axes and branchlets tapered at base
and apex [6.946].
Habitat. On rocks in pools, mid-littoral to shallow
sublittoral, sporadic, often locally common.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Ireland and Britain to Morocco); Mediterranean; NW Atlantic (USA); SW Atlantic (Brazil); NE Pacific (South Korea, Japan).
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antihelminthic [6.946], antimicrobial [6.40, 130, 201, 203],
antifouling [6.947], antifungal and antimitotic [6.62]
activity.
Stypocaulon scoparium (Linnaeus) Kützing
Synonym. Halopteris scoparia (Linnaeus) Sauvageau.
Common Name. Sea broom.
Description. S. scoparium, previously known as H.
scoparia, is a dark brown algae that forms beautiful
fluffy clumps in shallow rocky-bottomed water. Growing only up to 15 cm in length, S. scoparium has a main
axis with alternate plumed branches which are more
or less fan shaped when flat, though when buoyed up
by water they form inverted cone-shaped tufts with
a very delicate appearance due to the many filamentous branches. Plants are usually attached to rocks with
small to extensive disks often obscured by many matted
rhizoids; though these are lacking in free-living plants.
These plants are characterized by pure, sheltered waters
with high light levels. S. scoparium often forms clumps
on cobble in the shallow sublittoral zone, though they
are just as likely to be found in shallow tide pools or
sandy-bottomed areas [6.32, 948].
Habitat. On rocks and epiphytically on other seaweeds; in sheltered zones of the upper littoral and in
up to 5 m depth.
Distribution. NE and E Atlantic (Scandinavia to Cap
Verde Islands); Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. S. scoparium is known to be
an ingredient in compounds used in personal care products; it contains growth substances (phytohormones)
that include auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscissic
acid, and betaines [6.948].
Extracts of this species have antiprotozoal [6.193],
antifungal and antimitotic [6.62], antioxidant [6.949],
antileukemia [6.950], and antimicrobial [6.296] activity.
140 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
[6.935], antiplasmodial [6.936], anti-osteoporotic
[6.937], anti-inflammatory [6.938], antiobesity
[6.939, 940], antihypertensive [6.941], and antithrombotic [6.942] activity.
Order: Ralfsiales
Ralfsia verrucosa (J.E. Areschoug)
J.E. Areschoug
Description. R. verrucosa is an olive brown to khaki
encrusting brown seaweed that occurs abundantly in
low shore tide pools. Here it often forms large, flat,
smooth expanses giving the impression that someone
had accidentally dropped khaki paint into the tide pools.
R. verrucosa can occur in high abundance because
of its relatively fast growth rate and also because it
produces a chemical which seems to deter most grazers [6.943].
Habitat. Saxicolous, mid-littoral.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Ireland and Britain to
Morocco); SE Atlantic (South Africa); NW Atlantic
(Canada, USA); SW Atlantic (Argentina); Mediterranean; Indo-Pacific; Australia.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial
and antifouling activity [6.944].
Order: Sphacelariales
Cladostephus spongiosus (Hudson)
C. Agardh
Description. Fairly stiffly branched fronds growing
from a crust-like discoid holdfast, covered with small
branchlets arranged in whorls (Fig. 6.59); maximum
length is usually about 15 cm [6.945].
Habitat. On firm substrata in the intertidal zone.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Iceland to Morocco);
Mediterranean, Indian Ocean; Australasia; Antarctica,
Sub-Antarctic Islands.
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antibacterial activity [6.171, 201].
Halopteris filicina (Grateloup) Kützing
Description. Compressed, tufted, dark purplish brown
fronds, to 120 mm high, main axis 14 mm broad. Once
or twice pinnate, axes and branchlets tapered at base
and apex [6.946].
Habitat. On rocks in pools, mid-littoral to shallow
sublittoral, sporadic, often locally common.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Ireland and Britain to Morocco); Mediterranean; NW Atlantic (USA); SW Atlantic (Brazil); NE Pacific (South Korea, Japan).
Uses and Compounds. Extracts have antihelminthic [6.946], antimicrobial [6.40, 130, 201, 203],
antifouling [6.947], antifungal and antimitotic [6.62]
activity.
Stypocaulon scoparium (Linnaeus) Kützing
Synonym. Halopteris scoparia (Linnaeus) Sauvageau.
Common Name. Sea broom.
Description. S. scoparium, previously known as H.
scoparia, is a dark brown algae that forms beautiful
fluffy clumps in shallow rocky-bottomed water. Growing only up to 15 cm in length, S. scoparium has a main
axis with alternate plumed branches which are more
or less fan shaped when flat, though when buoyed up
by water they form inverted cone-shaped tufts with
a very delicate appearance due to the many filamentous branches. Plants are usually attached to rocks with
small to extensive disks often obscured by many matted
rhizoids; though these are lacking in free-living plants.
These plants are characterized by pure, sheltered waters
with high light levels. S. scoparium often forms clumps
on cobble in the shallow sublittoral zone, though they
are just as likely to be found in shallow tide pools or
sandy-bottomed areas [6.32, 948].
Habitat. On rocks and epiphytically on other seaweeds; in sheltered zones of the upper littoral and in
up to 5 m depth.
Distribution. NE and E Atlantic (Scandinavia to Cap
Verde Islands); Mediterranean.
Uses and Compounds. S. scoparium is known to be
an ingredient in compounds used in personal care products; it contains growth substances (phytohormones)
that include auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscissic
acid, and betaines [6.948].
Extracts of this species have antiprotozoal [6.193],
antifungal and antimitotic [6.62], antioxidant [6.949],
antileukemia [6.950], and antimicrobial [6.296] activity.