Ceramium virgatum, or the red hornweed, is a small red marine alga.
Description This small alga grows erect with cylindrical filamentous axes.Hardy, F.G. and Guiry, M.D. 2003. A Checklist and Atlas of the Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. The British Phycological Society It is repeatedly branched, corticate and grow to 30 cm long.Bunker, F.StP.D., Maggs, C.A., Brodie, J.A., Bunker, A.R. 2017. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. Second Edition. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth. UK Very difficult to identify from some other species.
Habitat Common in rock pools and in the upper sub-littoral in a wide range of habitats.
Distribution Widely distributed around the British Isles including the Isle of Man and the Shetland Islands.
Nomenclature The non-spiny species of Ceramium are in taxonomic chaosMaggs, C.A. and Hommersand, M.H.1993. Seaweeds of the British Isles Volume 1 Rhodophyta Part 3A Ceramiales. The Natural History Museum, London and there is confusion concerning this species which is referred to as Ceramium nodulosum in some references.
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