Names of different macroalgae parts

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Bill or any other macroalgae experts:

What are the appropriate terms for the different parts of a macroalgae?

Specifically for Caulerpa racemosa, the growing tip is called what? The "grapes" are what? The root-like parts are?

[Habib]

Randy,

Chemical Abstracts don't have pictures huh? :D

C. racemosa: An algae with long stolons; its racemous-rhizoids point downward. Photosynthesis occurs in the clustered aggregations that, opposing the rhizoids, merely reach a few cm in height. Growth patten of phtotosynthetic thalli can vary from biforcated with tiny branches to entirely rounded bubbles. C.racemosa is one of the few species which originated from the Red Sea

Above and more can be found :

http://www.sbg.ac.at/ipk/avstudio/pierofun/ct/caulerpa.htm

I hope that is of some help so far. :)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, Habib. That does help a lot.

Photosynthesis occurs in the clustered aggregations that, opposing the rhizoids, merely reach a few cm in height.

Unfortunately, it also raises an ugly question for me.:(

I was planning on running my Caulerpa/iodide experiment on simple, 4-6" lengths of stolon, with no thalli. I figured it would introduce too much variability to use thalli too since different thalli are very different sizes.

But if the stolon is not phososynthetic, then those lengths won't grow at all. Of course, they are green, so maybe they do photosyntehsize in addition to the thalli.

[Habib]

Randy,

Here is an interesting article dealing with nutrient limitation (not iodide) and growth of various Caulerpa.

There is also a section about sample preparation (materials and methods) and includes C. racemosa.



http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/Bot482/Kaneohe%20Bay%20algae%20N-P%20Larned%20Mar%20Biol.pdf

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks again, Habib.

They used the thalli but I'd like to do the experiment on a smaller scale (maybe stolons only, or stolons plus 1 thalli set). Anyway, much of the info is useful. The preconditioning, for example, which is something that I intended to do after cutting, but to see a recommended time for it to take place is very useful.:)

[billsreef]

Habib,

You sure your a chemist and not a phycologist? :D

:D

[Habib]

Bill,

You sure your a chemist and not a phycologist?

I am just a kindergarten drop-out. :D