Laminaria nigripes, Saccharina nigripes, Saccharina subsimplex; misidentified as Laminaria bongardiana, Laminaria groenlandica, Saccharina groenlandica

Description: Thallus of this common kelp is medium to dark brown with a branched holdfast (haptera), a stipe up to 60 cm (24 in) long with microscopic mucilage ducts, and a blade up to 2 m (6 ft) long. The blade is often bullate when young but becomes thicker and smoother with age; it often splits into 2-3 segments. The stipe is cylindrical at the holdfast but is often flattened at the base of the blade. Habitat: This perennial kelp is found on rock in the low intertidal to shallow subtidal zones and occurs in semi-protected to semi-exposed habitats. Similar taxa: Laminaria spp., Saccharina spp.