Codium mucronatum f. californicum, Codium fragile var. californicum

Description: Thallus is spongy in texture, blackish-green and dichotomously branched; the holdfast is a small cushion supporting erect branches to 30 cm (12 in) tall. Thallus consists of interwoven and confluent filaments that lack crosswalls and are in fact a single multinucleate cell (a "coenocyte"). An unpleasant, pungent odor is associated with this species. Habitat: The species is typically found on bedrock or boulders in the low intertidal of semi-exposed coasts.