Helminthocladia clavadosii (Lomour)

Order Family    Genus Nemalionales Helminthocladiaceae Helminthocladia

Helminthocladia clavadosii (Lamour)

Characteristics

Plants attached to substratum by small, somewhat fleshi disc; frond tufted, cylindical or in some larger plants compressed, upto 30 cm or more long, nearly as much wide with extended branches end to end; vinose red or purple to brick-red gelatinous, cartilaginous, tough, elastic, very soft, lubricous; main stem either thick and robust or comparatively thinner, proliferous with several branches closely at throughout the length of the main stem 3mm or more thick, tapering at base for a short distance from the basal disc; branches worm like, slightly thinner than the main stem, about 2 mm thick, 13 - 15 cm long towards the middle and upper portiond; base of the branches not attenuate; tip gradually tapering to an sub-acute apex; mostly simple but occasionally irregularly divided once or twice, longer and shorter branches intermingled on the main stem; branchlets several lateral on the branches, simple, generally or occasionally divided, very short, slender, varible in size, 0.5 -1 mm thick, abou 0.1 - 2 cm long, densely set on the branches, most often curled; terminal cells of branches large, puriform, 15.3 - 25.5µ broad, 44.2 -54.4µ long. Antheridia at tips of assimilatory branches; spermatia 2.8 - 3.5µ in diameter. Carpogonial branch lateral on assimilatory branches. 8.5 - 11.2µ broad.

Distribution : Malvan, (Maharashtra); Karwar. (Karnataka)

Ecological status : Intertidal zone.

IUCN status :NE

Uses :

Culture/Cultivation :