Bull kelp is a
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
for the
brown alga
Brown algae (singular: alga), comprising the class (biology), class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the ...
''
Nereocystis luetkeana'' which is a true
kelp
Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms.
Kelp grows in "underwat ...
in the family
Laminariaceae
Laminariaceae is a family of brown algal seaweed
Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlor ...
.
Species in the genus ''
Durvillaea'' are also sometimes called "bull kelp", but this is just a shortening of the common name southern bull kelp. ''Durvillaea'' is a genus in the order
Fucales
The Fucales (fucoids) are an order in the brown algae (class Phaeophyceae). The list of families in the Fucales, as well as additional taxonomic information on algae, is publicly accessible at Algaebaseref name="Guiry and Guiry">Guiry, M.D. and ...
and, though superficially similar in appearance, is not a true kelp (all of which are in the order
Laminariales
Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms.
Kelp grows in "underw ...
).
{{Gallery
, title=Bull kelp and southern bull kelps
, width=180
, File:Nereocystis luetkeana1.jpg
, {{center, Bull kelp (''
Nereocystis luetkeana'') at
Caspar Point, California
, File:BrightonDurvillaea2.jpg
, {{center, Southern bull kelps (''
Durvillaea'') in
Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...
, New Zealand
Laminariaceae