Polysiphonia foetidissima Cocks ex Bornet (also known as Vertebrata foetidissima) is small red marine alga in the Rhodophyta.Maggs, C.A. and Hommersand, M.H. 1993. Seaweeds of the British Isles Volume 1 Rhodophyta Part 3A Ceramilaes. The Natural History Museum, London.
Description Polysiphonia foetidissima grows in dense branching tufts to a length of 11 cm. The fine erect branches have a central axis surrounded by 7 or 8 pericentral cells all of the same length. Rhizoids are produced from the pericentral cells. Trichoblasts are numerous.
Reproduction Tetrasporangia are formed in the branches.
Distribution Only recorded twice from Ireland and Great Britain.Hardy, F.G. and Guiry, M.D. 2003. A Check-list and Atlas of the Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. British Phycological Society, Further records are from France, Portugal, the Mediterranean and Bermuda.
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