View source for Biology:Meristotheca papulosa

{{Short description|Species of seaweed}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Meristotheca papulosa - National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo - DSC06913.JPG
| genus = Meristotheca
| species = papulosa
| authority = ([[Biography:Camille Montagne|Montagne]]) J. Agardh
}}

'''''Meristotheca papulosa''''' (synonyms: ''M. japonica'' and ''Eucheuma papulosa'') is a red alga, popular as a sea vegetable in Taiwan, where it is known as '''''jiguancai''''' ({{zh|c=鸡冠菜|p=jīguāncài}}, literally "cockscomb vegetable"), and in {{wipe|Japan}}, where it is known as '''''tosaka-nori''''' ({{lang-ja|トサカノリ}}), which can be prefixed with ''aka'' (red) so as to distinguish it from the ''ao'' (green) and ''shiro'' (white) varieties.

==Description==
The plant tissue varies in color from red to peach, the texture is fleshy and cartilaginous, and the shape is flat and leaf-like, with irregular deep forking divisions.  The edges often grow many branchlets of uneven lengths.  The surfaces of older individuals will grow warty or spiky protuberances.  The morphology is variable.  Length can reach 10–40&nbsp;cm, with a branch width of 1–5&nbsp;cm.  The interior of the algal body has multiple axes.
<!-- In the central core, '''fibrous cells''' are closely woven together.  The '''endoderm''' is mostly composed of '''horn-shaped''' cells.  The '''exoderm''' is composed of small cells closely packed together. -->

==Life cycle==

It has isomorphic [[Biology:Alternation of generations|alternation of generations]] (the [[Biology:Sporophyte|sporophyte]] and the [[Biology:Gametophyte|gametophyte]] share a very similar appearance).  The tetrasporangia are divided in a ladder shape and scattered across the [[Biology:Cortex (botany)|cortex]].  <!--The '''cyst-fruits''' are hemispherical, protrude from the surface, and are scattered across the face and edges.-->

==Ecology and distribution==
It grows on subtidal rocks 5–20 metres deep, and can be seen at all times of the year.

It is very widely distributed along the coasts of the [[Earth:Indian Ocean|Indian Ocean]] from {{wipe|South Africa}} to {{wipe|Australia}}, and the western [[Earth:Pacific Ocean|Pacific Ocean]] from {{wipe|Australia}} to {{wipe|Japan}}.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.algaebase.org/speciesdetail.lasso?species_id=2816 |website=[[Biology:AlgaeBase|AlgaeBase]] |title=''Meristotheca papulosa'' (Montagne) J. Agardh |author=M. D. Guiry & Wendy Guiry |date=2006-05-10}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q6819517}}

[[Category:Solieriaceae]]



{{Sourceattribution|Meristotheca papulosa}}