''Desmarestia'' is a genus of
brown algae
Brown algae (: alga) are a large group of multicellular algae comprising the class (biology), class Phaeophyceae. They include many seaweeds located in colder waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the temperate ...
found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acid kelp, acidweed,
', sea sorrel,
(), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '.
However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to ''
Desmarestia viridis
Overview
''Desmarestia viridis'' is a species of brown algae and a member of the phylum Ochrophyta. It is also known as stringy acid kelp, and is the most acidic of the acid kelps with a vacuolar pH of about 1. It is best known for releasing su ...
''. Members of this genus can be either annual or perennial.
Annual members of this genus store
sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, ...
in intracellular
vacuole
A vacuole () is a membrane-bound organelle which is present in Plant cell, plant and Fungus, fungal Cell (biology), cells and some protist, animal, and bacterial cells. Vacuoles are essentially enclosed compartments which are filled with water ...
s. When exposed to air they release the acid, thereby destroying themselves and nearby seaweeds in the process. They are found in shallow
intertidal zone
The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various ...
s.
Ingesting sulfuric acid can cause severe digestive disturbances.
but since sulfuric acid tastes extremely sour, members of the genus are unlikely to be eaten in harmful quantities.
The genus was named in honor of
Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest
Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest (6 March 1784 – 4 June 1838) was a French Zoology, zoologist and author. He was the son of Nicolas Desmarest and the father of Eugène Anselme Sébastien Léon Desmarest.
Career
Desmarest was a disciple of Georges Cu ...
.
Species
AlgaeBase lists 32 currently accepted species within the genus ''Desmarestia'', not including variations and subspecies.
* ''
Desmarestia aculeata''
( L.) J.V.Lamouroux - Type specimen for the genus
* ''
Desmarestia anceps''
( Montagne)
* ''
Desmarestia antarctica''
( R.L.Moe & P.C.Silva)
* ''
Desmarestia chordalis''
( J.D.Hooker & Harvey)
* ''
Desmarestia confervoides''
(Bory de Saint-Vincent
Jean-Baptiste Geneviève Marcellin Bory de Saint-Vincent was a French naturalist, officer and politician. He was born on 6 July 1778 in Agen (Lot-et-Garonne) and died on 22 December 1846 in Paris. Biologist and geographer, he was particularly int ...
) M.E.Ramírez & A.F.Peters
* ''
Desmarestia distans''
( C.Agardh) J.Agardh
* ''
Desmarestia dudresnayi''
J.V.Lamouroux ex Léman
* ''
Desmarestia farcta''
Setchell & Gardner
* ''
Desmarestia filamentosa''
E.Y.Dawson
* ''
Desmarestia firma''
( C.Agardh) Skottsberg
* ''
Desmarestia foliacea''
V.A.Pease
* ''
Desmarestia gayana
''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acid kelp, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to ''Desmarestia virid ...
''
Montagne
* ''
Desmarestia herbacea''
(Turner
Turner may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name
*One who uses a lathe for tur ...
) J.V.Lamouroux
* ''
Desmarestia inanis''
Postels & Ruprecht
* ''
Desmarestia intermedia''
Postels & Ruprecht
* ''
Desmarestia kurilensis''
Yamada
* ''
Desmarestia latifrons''
( Ruprecht) Kützing
* ''
Desmarestia latissima''
Setchell & Gardner
* ''
Desmarestia ligulata''
( Stackhouse) J.V.Lamouroux
* ''
Desmarestia menziesii''
J.Agardh
* ''
Desmarestia muelleri''
M.E.Ramírez & A.F.Peters
* ''
Desmarestia munda''
Setchell & N.L.Gardner
* ''
Desmarestia patagonica''
Asensi
* ''
Desmarestia peruviana''
Montagne
* ''
Desmarestia pinnatinervia''
Montagne
* ''
Desmarestia pteridoides''
Reinsch
* ''
Desmarestia rossii''
J.D.Hooker & Harvey
* ''
Desmarestia sivertsenii''
Baardseth
* ''
Desmarestia tabacoides''
Okamura
* ''
Desmarestia tortuosa''
A.R.O. Chapman
* ''
Desmarestia tropica''
W.R.Taylor - tropical acidweed
* ''
Desmarestia viridis
Overview
''Desmarestia viridis'' is a species of brown algae and a member of the phylum Ochrophyta. It is also known as stringy acid kelp, and is the most acidic of the acid kelps with a vacuolar pH of about 1. It is best known for releasing su ...
''
( O.F.Müller) J.V.Lamouroux - stringy acid kelp, green acid kelp, Desmarest's green weed, or sea sorrel
Gallery
References
Brown algae genera
{{Phaeophyceae-stub