''Desmarestia'' is a genus of

brown algae Brown algae (singular: alga), comprising the 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 temperate and po ...

found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to ''

Desmarestia viridis Overview ''Desmarestia viridis'' is a species of brown algae and a member of the phylum Ochrophyta. It is also known as stringy acid kelp, and is the most acidic of the acid kelps with a vacuolar pH of about 1. It is best known for releasing su ...

''. Members of this genus can be either annual or perennial. Annual members of this genus store

sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid ( Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with the molecular formu ...

in intracellular

vacuole A vacuole () is a membrane-bound organelle which is present in plant and fungal cells and some protist, animal, and bacterial cells. Vacuoles are essentially enclosed compartments which are filled with water containing inorganic and organic mo ...

s. When exposed to air they release the acid, thereby destroying themselves and nearby seaweeds in the process. They are found in shallow

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species o ...

s. Ingesting sulfuric acid can cause severe digestive problems. but since sulfuric acid tastes extremely sour, members of the genus are unlikely to be eaten in harmful quantities. The genus was named in honor of

Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest (6 March 1784 – 4 June 1838) was a French Zoology, zoologist and author. He was the son of Nicolas Desmarest and father of Eugène Anselme Sébastien Léon Desmarest. Desmarest was a disciple of Georges Cuvier and Alex ...

Species

AlgaeBase lists 32 currently accepted species within the genus ''Desmarestia'', not including variations and subspecies. * ''

Desmarestia aculeata ''Desmarestia aculeata'' is a species of brown algae found worldwide. Its common names include color changer, Desmarest's flattened weed, and sea sorrel, though the last name can refer to other species of ''Desmarestia ''Desmarestia'' is a g ...

'' ( L.) J.V.Lamouroux - Type specimen for the genus * ''

Desmarestia anceps ''Desmarestia anceps'' is a species of brown algae found in the Antarctic Peninsula The Antarctic Peninsula, known as O'Higgins Land in Chile and Tierra de San Martín in Argentina, and originally as Graham Land in the United Kingdom and th ...

'' ( Montagne) * ''

Desmarestia antarctica ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to '' Desmarestia viridis''. Mem ...

'' ( R.L.Moe & P.C.Silva) * ''

Desmarestia chordalis ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to '' Desmarestia viridis''. Mem ...

'' ( J.D.Hooker &

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

) * ''

Desmarestia confervoides ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to '' Desmarestia viridis''. Mem ...

'' ( Bory de Saint-Vincent) M.E.Ramírez & A.F.Peters * ''

Desmarestia distans ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to '' Desmarestia viridis''. Mem ...

'' ( C.Agardh) J.Agardh * ''

Desmarestia dudresnayi ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to '' Desmarestia viridis''. Mem ...

'' J.V.Lamouroux ex Léman * ''

Desmarestia farcta ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to '' Desmarestia viridis''. Mem ...

'' Setchell & Gardner * ''

Desmarestia filamentosa ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to '' Desmarestia viridis''. Mem ...

'' E.Y.Dawson * ''

Desmarestia firma ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to '' Desmarestia viridis''. Mem ...

'' ( C.Agardh) Skottsberg * '' Desmarestia foliacea'' V.A.Pease * '' Desmarestia gayana'' Montagne * ''

Desmarestia herbacea ''Desmarestia herbacea'' is a species of brown algae found worldwide. Its common names include color changer, Desmarest's flattened weed, and sea sorrel, though the last name can also refer to other species of ''Desmarestia ''Desmarestia'' ...

'' (

Turner Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters *Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for turni ...

) J.V.Lamouroux * '' Desmarestia inanis'' Postels & Ruprecht * '' Desmarestia intermedia'' Postels & Ruprecht * '' Desmarestia kurilensis''

Yamada Yamada (山田, ) is the 12th most common Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese model, actress and idol *, Japanese field hockey player *, Japanese illustrator and manga artist *, Japanese rugby union player *, Ja ...

* '' Desmarestia latifrons'' ( Ruprecht) Kützing * ''

Desmarestia latissima ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to ''Desmarestia viridis''. Memb ...

'' Setchell & Gardner * ''

Desmarestia ligulata ''Desmarestia ligulata'' is a species of brown algae found worldwide. Its common names include color changer, Desmarest's flattened weed, and sea sorrel, though the last name can also refer to other species of ''Desmarestia''. Habitat This speci ...

'' ( Stackhouse) J.V.Lamouroux * '' Desmarestia menziesii'' J.Agardh * '' Desmarestia muelleri'' M.E.Ramírez & A.F.Peters * '' Desmarestia munda'' Setchell &

N.L.Gardner Nathaniel Lyon Gardner (February 26, 1864 – August 15, 1937), was an American phycologist and mycologist who taught at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was the curator of the University and Jepson Herbaria, University Herbarium. ...

* '' Desmarestia patagonica'' Asensi * '' Desmarestia peruviana'' Montagne * '' Desmarestia pinnatinervia'' Montagne * '' Desmarestia pteridoides'' Reinsch * '' Desmarestia rossii'' J.D.Hooker &

* ''

Desmarestia sivertsenii ''Desmarestia'' is a genus of brown algae found worldwide. It is also called acid weed, acidweed, ', sea sorrel, (), ', mermaid's hair, landlady's wig, or '. However, 'sea sorrel' can also specifically refer to ''Desmarestia viridis''. Memb ...

'' Baardseth * '' Desmarestia tabacoides''

Okamura Okamura (written: 岡村 lit. "hill village") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * , Japanese voice actor * , Japanese photographer * Allison Okamura, American roboticist * Arthur Okamura, American silk screen artist ...

* '' Desmarestia tortuosa'' A.R.O. Chapman * ''

Desmarestia tropica ''Desmarestia tropica'', sometimes called tropical acidweed, is a species of seaweed in the family Desmarestiaceae. It is critically endangered, possibly extinct, and one of only fifteen protists evaluated by IUCN. Endemic to the Galápagos Is ...

'' W.R.Taylor - tropical acidweed * ''

'' ( O.F.Müller) J.V.Lamouroux - stringy acid kelp, green acid kelp, Desmarest's green weed, or sea sorrel

Gallery

References

Brown algae genera Desmarestiales {{Phaeophyceae-stub