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Stringy Acid Kelp
Desmarestia viridis
Authority:
(O.F. Muller) Lamouroux
North Pacific Distribution:
Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea and Aleutian Is., Alaska to Baja California, Mexico; China; Korea; Japan; Russia.
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Former Scientific Names:
Fucus viridis, Desmarestia media var. tenuis.
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Description:
The light brown thallus has a cylindrical central axis, opposite branching, and a discoidal holdfast. The thallus is often delicate. It grows up to 120 cm (48 in) tall and is considered the most acidic of all the acid kelps, destroying itself and other seaweeds when damaged by releasing sulfuric acid. Habitat: This perennial is found on rock in the very low intertidal to subtidal zones in semi-protected to exposed habitats. Similar taxa: Chordaria, Dictyosiphon.
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