Description: Thallus is composed of a woody stipe to 1.5 m (~5 ft) long and 4 cm (1.6 in) in diam. Initially, there is a single terminal blade with a faint midrib, but it erodes away, and the only “blades” remaining are the dense sporophylls along the upper end of the stipe. Habitat: This perennial species can occur in the very low intertidal but is primarily subtidal in exposed to semi-exposed habitats. It often attaches to cobble, which allows it to “walk” ashore as waves push it onto the beach. Similar taxa: Laminaria setchellii is also stiff stiped but has a terminal blade and lacks sporophylls.