Phyllospadix torreyi / P. scouleri Silvetia compressa / S. deliquescens
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Postelsia palmaeformis Rupr. Sea palm |
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General Description (from Kendall et al. 2002): |
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Resembles a miniature palm tree; small hapterous holdfast with thick, flexible stipe; blades with longitudinal grooves; a protected species in California; seasonal |
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Habitat and Range (from Abbott and Hollenberg 1976): |
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Locally abundant on rocks in wave-exposed areas; high to midtidal; Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to Morro Bay (San Luis Obispo County), CA |
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Biology: |
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Spores are formed in the grooves of the blades (Kozloff 1983) in the late spring (Abbott and Hollenberg 1976). P. palmaeformis competes with mussels and other algae for space, but produce many sporelings, which attach to competitors and act as drags, causing competitors to rip off the rock surface during storms. The remaining sporelings then grow to maturity in these cleared spaces (Dayton 1975). Branch and blade first split longitudinally into two blades and branches (Abbott and Hollenberg 1976). Conspicuous sporophytes live only from early spring to late autumn or early winter (Kozloff 1983), and mature plants turn from green to golden brown, growing 100 or more blades (Abbott and Hollenberg 1976). |
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References: |
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Abbott IA and Hollenberg GJ (1976) Marine algae of California. Stanford Univ Press, Stanford, CA Dayton PK (1975) Experimental studies of algal canopy interactions in a sea-otter dominated kelp community at Amchitka Island, Alaska. U.S. Dept Comm Fish Bull 73: 230-237 Kendall A, Kusic K, Maloney E, Williams M (2002) List of species to be discussed at the 2002 MMS Taxonomic Workshop Kozloff EN (1983) Seashore life of the northern Pacific coast. University of Washington Press, Seattle
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Updated: 12/9/2004 |
