Ceramium virgatum

Ceramium virgatum, or the red hornweed, is a small red marine alga.

Ceramium virgatum
Scientific classification
Clade:	Archaeplastida
Division:	Rhodophyta
Class:	Florideophyceae
Order:	Ceramiales
Family:	Ceramiaceae
Genus:	Ceramium
Species:	C. virgatum
Binomial name
Ceramium virgatum Roth

Description

This small alga grows erect with cylindrical filamentous axes.^[1] It is repeatedly branched, corticate and grow to 30 cm long.^[2] Very difficult to identify from some other species.^[1]

Habitat

Common in rock pools^[2] and in the upper sub-littoral in a wide range of habitats.^[1]

Distribution

Widely distributed around the British Isles including the Isle of Man and the Shetland Islands.^[1]

Nomenclature

The non-spiny species of Ceramium are in taxonomic chaos^[3] and there is confusion concerning this species which is referred to as Ceramium nodulosum in some references.^[1]

References

1. Hardy, F.G. and Guiry, M.D. 2003. A Checklist and Atlas of the Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. The British Phycological Society ISBN 0-9527115-16
2. Bunker, F.StP.D., Maggs, C.A., Brodie, J.A., Bunker, A.R. 2017. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. Second Edition. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth. UK ISBN 978-0-9955673-3-7
3. Maggs, C.A. and Hommersand, M.H.1993. Seaweeds of the British Isles Volume 1 Rhodophyta Part 3A Ceramiales. The Natural History Museum, London ISBN 0-11-3100-45-0