Sea Lettuces
Ulva
Summary 2
The sea lettuces comprise the genus Ulva, a group of edible green algae that is widely distributed along the coasts of the world's oceans. The type species within the genus Ulva is Ulva lactuca, lactuca being Latin for "lettuce". The genus also includes the species previously classified under the genus Enteromorpha, the former members of which are known under the common name green nori. Individual blades of Ulva can grow to be more than 400mm (16")...
Biology 3
Species of Enteromorpha are summer annuals; they decay at the end of the season, producing masses of decaying bleached fronds (3). These seaweeds are fast-growing species that are able to reproduce quickly (3). The life cycle passes through a number of stages. The 'gametophyte' stage produces massive amounts of mobile sex cells or gametes that fuse together to form the 'sporophyte' stage. This stage then produces mobile spores, which develop into the gametophyte stage, and the cycle begins once more (3). The gametes and spores are produced in such massive quantities that the water becomes green. Their release is synchronised with the tidal cycles (3). In some parts of the world gut weed (E. intestinalis) is sold as a foodstuff (4).
Sources and Credits
- (c) Kristian Peters, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/26213090@N05/2478030359
- Adapted by c2sci from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulva_(genus)
- (c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/6689215
More Info
iNat Map
| Region | Alaska to British Columbia, Channel Islands North, Channel Islands South, Government Point to Mexico, San Francisco to Government Point, WA Olympic Coast to San Francisco |
|---|---|
| Common name | Green Algae |
