Phaeophyta (Brown algae)

There are many species of brown seaweeds in California, but we will only cover some of the common species on our web page. The list below represents some of the more common species that one can encounter in California. Active links to those species we have photographed or scanned are in blue. Like most of our website, this is a work in progress. Please re-visit for updates. All of the seaweed pictures here were taken by Luis A. Solorzano using an Olympus C-2100 digital camera.

Phaeophyceae
Ectocarpales
    Ectocarpaceae
      Ectocarpus
      Hincksia granulosa (J.E. Smith) P.C. Silva
Chordariales
    Ralfsiaceae
      Ralfsia pacifica (Tar Spot Alga)
    Corynophlaeaceae
      Cylindrocarpus rugosus
      Leathesia difformis (Linnaeus) Areschoug
    Chordariaceae
      Analipus japonicus
Dictyosiphonales
    Dictyosiphonaceae
      Coilodesme californica
      Coilodesme plana
      Coilodesme rigida
    Punctariaceae
      Phaeostrophion irregulare
      Soranthera ulvoidea
Scytosiphonales
    Scytosiphonaceae
      Colpomenia peregrina
      Colpomenia sinuosa (Mertens ex Roth) Derbes & Solier
      Endarachne binghamiae
      Petalonia fascia
      Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngbye) Link
Dictyotales
   Dictyotales
    Dictyotaceae
      Dictyopteris undulata
      Dictyota binghamiae
      Dictyota flabellata
      Pachydictyon coriaceum
      Taonia lennebackeriae
      Zonaria farlowii
Desmarestiales
    Desmarestiaceae
      Desmarestia kurilensis
      Desmarestia latifrons (Ruprecht) Kutzing
      Desmarestia ligulata (Stackhouse) Lamouroux
      Desmarestia ligulata var. firma
Laminariales
   Laminariaceae
      Agarum fimbriatum
      Costaria costata
      Hedophyllum sessile
      Laminaria setchellii (Oar Weed) P.C. Silva
      Laminaria ephemera (Oar Weed)
      Laminaria farlowii (Oar Weed)
      Laminaria sinclairii (Oar Weed) (J.D. Hooker & Harvey)
                                Farlow, Anderson & Eaton
      Pleurophycus gardneri
   Alariaceae
      Alaria marginata
      Egregia menziesii (Feather Boa Kelp)
      Eisenia arborea
      Pterygophora californica
   Lessoniaceae
      Dictyoneuropsis reticulata
      Dictyoneurum californicum
      Lessoniopsis littoralis
      Macrocystis integrifolia (Giant Kelp)
      Macrocystis pyrifera (Pacific Giant Kelp)
      Nereocystis luetkeana (Bull Kelp) (Mertens f.) Post & Ruprecht
      Pelagophycus porra (Elk Kelp)
      Postelsia palmaeformis (Sea Palm)
Fucales
   Fucaceae
      Fucus gardneri (Rock Weed) P.C. Silva
      Hesperophycus californicus P.C. Silva
      Selvetia compressa (J. Agardh) Serrao, Cho, Boo & Brawley
      Pelvetiopsis limitata
   Cystoseiraceae
      Cystoseira osmundacea
      Halidrys dioica
    Sargassaceae
      Sargassum agardhianum Farlow ex. J. Agardh
      Sargassum muticum
      Sargassum palmeri

This species list represents some of the more common brown seaweeds that might be encountered in California and were taken from:

Marine Algae of California,
Isabella A. Abbott and George J. Hollenberg, Stanford University Press (1976)

Seashore Plants of California
E. Yale Dawson and Michael S. Foster, California Natural History Guides: 47, University of California Press (1982)

Nomenclatural and Taxonomic Changes for California Seaweeds, Draft: November 2001, Kathy Ann Miller, Wrigley Marine Science Center, Santa Catalina Island:

http://wrigley.usc.edu/pdf/CA_Seaweeds_11-01.pdf