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Rhodophyta · Red Seaweed

Savoiea bipinnata

(Postels & Ruprecht) M.J.Wynne
Phylum
Rhodophyta
Class
Florideophyceae
Order
Ceramiales
Family
Rhodomelaceae

Savoiea bipinnata

Black tassel

Authority
(Postels & Ruprecht) M.J.Wynne
Thallus is fine, profusely branched, dark red to reddish-brown, reaching at least 12 cm (5 in) tall. Branching near tips is all in one plane, spreading out easily on your finger. This species requires a microscope for accurate identification of its polysiphonous habit of 10-12 pericentral cells surrounding the axial cell.

Habitat

This common perennial grows on rock in the mid to low intertidal of protected to semi-exposed habitats in spring but gets grazed back by herbivores.

North Pacific Distribution

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Alaska to northern British Columbia; Japan; Russia

Former scientific names

Polysiphonia bipinnata, Polyostea bipinnata, Pterosiphonia bipinnata

Similar taxa

Polysiphonia pacifica, Antithamnionella spp. Savoiea robusta is a more southerly sister taxon that may extend into Southeast Alaska.

References

Last updated December 26, 2010

Photos