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Rhodophyta · Red Seaweed

Opuntiella californica

(Farlow) Kylin
Phylum
Rhodophyta
Class
Florideophyceae
Order
Gigartinales
Family
Furcellariaceae

Opuntiella californica

Red Opuntia

Authority
(Farlow) Kylin
Thallus is dark red, thick, reaching 20 cm (8 in) tall and 30 cm (12 in) wide, with the central blade bearing numerous additional blades from its margin, repeated to several orders (similar to Prickly Pear Cactus), with distinct stipe and fleshy discoidal holdfast. A faint midrib may be evident near the base of some blades. Alternate reproductive phase (the tetrasporophyte) is crustose.

Habitat

This perennial is found on rock in the low intertidal and subtidal (to 20 m) of semi-protected to exposed habitats.

North Pacific Distribution

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Baja California, Mexico

Former scientific names

Kallymenia californica, Cruoria profunda

Similar taxa

Turnerella

References

Last updated December 26, 2010

Photos