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Genus (i.e. Fucus)
Species (i.e. Gardneri)
Common Name (i.e. Rock Weed)
Phylum (i.e. Ochrophyta)
All of the above
Dark Sea Lettuce
Ulvaria obscura var. blyttii
Authority:
(Kutzing) Gayral; (Areschoug) Bliding
North Pacific Distribution:
Bering Sea and Aleutian Is., Alaska, to northern Washington; Korea; Japan; Russia.
Phylum:
Chlorophyta
Class:
Cladophorophyceae
Order:
Ulvales-test
Family:
Ulvaceae
Former Scientific Names:
Monostroma fuscum, Ulvaria fusca, U. splendens, Ulva blyttii
Description: A young thallus starts out as a sac and then splits into a blade expanding to least 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. The blade is a bright green, one cell layer thick (up to 72 μm), and almost opaque. When dried, the thallus can turn dark brown to almost black due to the presence of dopamine in cells. Habitat: The species is found in the low intertidal and subtidal on protected and semi-protected coasts and is frequently found on pebble or cobble substrates. Similar taxa: Monostroma, Ulva.

Comments:
The distinction of N. Atlantic var. blyttii from N. Pacific Ulvaria splendens needs to be determined.

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