Marine Botany

Egregia menziesii The "Feather Boa" Kelp  

Order Laminariales  

    The Kelps
The order Laminariales is characterized by individuals with a macroscopic sporophyte generation and a microscopic gametophyte generation. The sporophytes are large (usually over 1 meter tall) with a holdfast, stipe, and one or more blade or blades. The stipe is usually cylindrical. It is either simple or branched and can hold pneumatocysts. Growth of the sporophyte occurs at an intercalary meristem that usually lies at the juncture of the stipe and blade. The sporangia are usually cylindrical, always unilocular, and always found in sori. The sori are borne on the blades, or are restricted to special blades (sporophylls). Gametophytes are filamentous with branches free from one another. They are heterothallic and oogamous. The antheridia of the male gametophyte produce only a single antherozoid. The oogonia of the female gametophyte produces a single egg, with the egg being fertilized after partially emerging from the oogonial wall. 
 
 
 
Reference for this page:  
Abbott, Isabella A., and George J. Hollenberg. Marine Algae of California. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA. 1976  

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Last updated: Jan. 05, 2005