Pleurophycus gardneri
Broad-ribbed kelp
- Authority
- Setchell & D.A.Saunders ex Tilden
Thallus of this dark brown kelp has a branched holdfast (haptera), a stipe, cylindrical at the base, flattening above, up to 50 cm (20 in) long, and an elliptical blade to 150 cm (60 in) long and 28 cm (11 in) wide with a distinctive thick, broad midrib 5 cm (1.75 in) wide. The blade is puckered along the sides of the midrib. The stipe and holdfast are perennial while the blade is annual and dies back in the fall.
Habitat
This species occurs on rock in the extreme low intertidal and upper subtidal of semi-exposed habitats or high current areas.
North Pacific Distribution
Alaska Peninsula, Alaska to Monterey County, California
Last updated December 26, 2010
