Teal nori • Pyropia torta
Specimen collection number SCL 15292 in the UBC Herbarium Algae Database. Search the collection number in the database for more information on this specimen, or search the species for further occurrences. Images courtesy of Sandra Lindstrom.
Identification
This red seaweed is distinguished by its blue green to bright green blades (typically brightest at the center). Blade shape is variable, from broadly egg-shaped to somewhat circular. The margins of blades are typically distinctively ruffled, and occasionally lobed. This species can reach 15 cm in length, and as spores mature, blade margins turn bright red, contrasting starkly with the blue green center (see this photo).
Habitat and Range
In winter and spring, this species can be found in the high intertidal zone, attached to rocks. It is predominantly found on more exposed shorelines, but has also been observed in more protected areas. The above specimens were found on North Beach, Calvert Island, attached to bedrock in the very high intertidal zone. Teal nori's range extends from the Aleutian Islands to Oregon, and includes the Commander Islands in Russia.
Similar Species
Members of the Pyropia genus are often difficult to distinguish. However, the unique colour of Teal Nori distinguishes it from Pyropia pseudolanceolata and Wildemania schizophylla - two similar species that are commonly intermixed with teal nori, but are more olive green in colour.
Human Uses
Like other species of Pyropia, this species is highly nutritious and delicious, and continues to be an important traditional food for many Coastal First Nations people. From Haida Gwaii to Tlingit Territory in Alaska, it is known as “Winter Seaweed.” It is abundant in winter and spring months, and because it grows in the highest intertidal zone, it is also much more accessible to harvest in winter months and at times when tides are high.
This red seaweed is distinguished by its blue green to bright green blades (typically brightest at the center). Blade shape is variable, from broadly egg-shaped to somewhat circular. The margins of blades are typically distinctively ruffled, and occasionally lobed. This species can reach 15 cm in length, and as spores mature, blade margins turn bright red, contrasting starkly with the blue green center (see this photo).
Habitat and Range
In winter and spring, this species can be found in the high intertidal zone, attached to rocks. It is predominantly found on more exposed shorelines, but has also been observed in more protected areas. The above specimens were found on North Beach, Calvert Island, attached to bedrock in the very high intertidal zone. Teal nori's range extends from the Aleutian Islands to Oregon, and includes the Commander Islands in Russia.
Similar Species
Members of the Pyropia genus are often difficult to distinguish. However, the unique colour of Teal Nori distinguishes it from Pyropia pseudolanceolata and Wildemania schizophylla - two similar species that are commonly intermixed with teal nori, but are more olive green in colour.
Human Uses
Like other species of Pyropia, this species is highly nutritious and delicious, and continues to be an important traditional food for many Coastal First Nations people. From Haida Gwaii to Tlingit Territory in Alaska, it is known as “Winter Seaweed.” It is abundant in winter and spring months, and because it grows in the highest intertidal zone, it is also much more accessible to harvest in winter months and at times when tides are high.
References
Lindberg, M. and Lindstrom, S. (2010). Porphyra torta. Seaweeds of Alaska. Accessed 2016-04-07.
O'Clair, R. and Lindstrom, S. Porphyra torta Krishnamurthy. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 2016-04-07
Turner, Nancy J. "The ethnobotany of edible seaweed (Porphyra abbottae and related species; Rhodophyta: Bangiales) and its use by First Nations on the Pacific Coast of Canada." Canadian Journal of Botany 81.4 (2003): 283-293.
Authors and editors of page
Bea Proudfoot and Kelly Fretwell (2016)
Lindberg, M. and Lindstrom, S. (2010). Porphyra torta. Seaweeds of Alaska. Accessed 2016-04-07.
O'Clair, R. and Lindstrom, S. Porphyra torta Krishnamurthy. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 2016-04-07
Turner, Nancy J. "The ethnobotany of edible seaweed (Porphyra abbottae and related species; Rhodophyta: Bangiales) and its use by First Nations on the Pacific Coast of Canada." Canadian Journal of Botany 81.4 (2003): 283-293.
Authors and editors of page
Bea Proudfoot and Kelly Fretwell (2016)