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Sea Lettuce

Ulva lactuca

Summary 4

Ulva lactuca Linnaeus, a green alga in the division Chlorophyta, is the type species of the genus Ulva, also known by the common name sea lettuce.

Description 5

 A small green alga (up to 30 cm across) with a broad, crumpled frond that is tough, translucent and membranous. It is attached to rock via a small hold-fast .Ulva is sometimes eaten as "green laver", but it is considered inferior to purple laver.

Habitat 6

 The sea lettuce is found at all levels of the intertidal, although in more northerly latitudes and in brackish habitats it is found in the shallow sublittoral. In very sheltered conditions, plants that have become detached from the substrate can continue to grow, forming extensive floating communities. The plant tolerates brackish conditions and can be found on suitable substrata in estuaries.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Kristian Peters, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/26213090@N05/2478030359
  2. (c) Ria Tan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildsingapore/3045765046/
  3. (c) eutrophication&hypoxia, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/48722974@N07/4523959524/
  4. Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulva_lactuca
  5. (c)  The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/10658721
  6. (c)  The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/10658722

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