''Codium edule'' is a
green alga
The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...
common on shallow
reef flats from the
intertidal to the
subtidal in tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.
The species is common in
Hawaiʻi where it is usually called wāwaeʻiole (meaning "ratʻs foot") and considered an edible alga or
limu.
Prominent ethnobotanist,
Isabella Abbott, described its usage in her writing.
Description
''Codium edule'' is dark green and velvety in appearance with irregular to dichotomous branches, often forming mats of up to 25 cm across.
The type location is
Waikiki.
Human use
The species is edible and in Hawaiʻi is eaten with fish or in a stew. The limu needs first to be washed carefully as grains of sand, pieces of shells and other debris get caught in the mats.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q69696475
Codium
Hawaiian cuisine
Species described in 1952