Fucus gardneri
Encyclopedia
Fucus gardneri is a species of seaweed
, a brown alga living on the littoral shore of the Pacific coasts of North America. It has the common name of rockweed.
, Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus serratus along with Ascophyllum nodosum
form the main and dominant seaweeds on rocky shores. These three species, along with two others Pelvetia canaliculata
and Ascophyllum nodosum
form the zones along the shore.
historically harvested the dried swollen tips of Fucus gardneri – sometimes referred to as "Indian pop corn". When the airbubbles are popped, it secretes a thick lotion, very moisturizing.
Seaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
, a brown alga living on the littoral shore of the Pacific coasts of North America. It has the common name of rockweed.
Description
Fucus gardneri is olive brown in colour and similar to Fucus spiralis. It grows to 40–50 cm (15.7–19.7 ) long and branches somewhat irregularly dichotomous and is attached, generally to rock, by a discoid holdfast. It has airbubbles at the top.Life history
The tips of mature individuals swell up and provide flotation for the plant as well as reproductive chambers for developing sperm and eggs. During low tide, the swollen tips dry up squeezing out sperm and eggs which unite into a zygote during the next flood tide and settle onto a substratum.Ecology
The other common species of Fucus: Fucus spiralisFucus spiralis
Fucus spiralis is a species of seaweed, a brown alga , living on the littoral shore of the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. It has the common names of spiral wrack and flat wrack.-Description:...
, Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus serratus along with Ascophyllum nodosum
Ascophyllum nodosum
Ascophyllum nodosum is a large, common brown alga in the family Fucaceae, being the only species in the genus Ascophyllum. It is seaweed of the northern Atlantic Ocean, also known as rockweed, Norwegian kelp, knotted kelp, knotted wrack or egg wrack...
form the main and dominant seaweeds on rocky shores. These three species, along with two others Pelvetia canaliculata
Pelvetia canaliculata
Pelvetia canaliculata, channelled wrack, is a very common brown alga found on the rocks of the upper shores of Europe.-Description:...
and Ascophyllum nodosum
Ascophyllum nodosum
Ascophyllum nodosum is a large, common brown alga in the family Fucaceae, being the only species in the genus Ascophyllum. It is seaweed of the northern Atlantic Ocean, also known as rockweed, Norwegian kelp, knotted kelp, knotted wrack or egg wrack...
form the zones along the shore.
Uses and history
Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
historically harvested the dried swollen tips of Fucus gardneri – sometimes referred to as "Indian pop corn". When the airbubbles are popped, it secretes a thick lotion, very moisturizing.
External links
- Fucus gardneri, AlgaeBaseAlgaeBaseAlgaeBase is a global species database of information on all groups of algae, as well as one group of flowering plants, the sea-grasses.AlgaeBase evolved from Michael Guiry's seaweed website, and has grown into a database of algae from throughout the world, and in freshwater, terrestrial, and...