Skip to main content

Ahnfeltia plicata

(Hudson) Fries

Landlady's wig, Bushy Ahnfelt's weed

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc-nd

(c) Jason M Crockwell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Jason M Crockwell

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Carol, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Contribute a photo Sign in required

Ahnfeltia plicata, the landlady's wig, is a species of red alga in the family Ahnfeltiaceae. It grows in northern parts of the Atlantic Ocean.

Description

A red seaweed.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The landlady's wig is an edible seaweed and was used in the Soviet Union for the production of agar. It can also be eaten raw or cooked and is said to have a crunchy texture and pleasant taste.

Traditional Uses

It is used directly as food raw or processed. It is also used to extract agar.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Alaska, Antarctica, Argentina, Atlantic, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Chile, Denmark, Europe, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Kerguelen, Korea, Macquarie Island, Middle East, Netherlands, North Sea, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tasmania, Uruguay, USA, Vietnam,

Other Information

Probably about 5,000 tons are harvested annually.

Nutrition

PartMoisturekJkcalProteinVit AVit CIronZinc
Seaweed31.1

Synonyms

Fucus plicatus Hudson

References (5)

  • Brouk, B., 1975, Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, London. p 253
  • Cherry, P., et al, 2019, Risks and benefits of consuming edible seaweeds. Nutrition ReviewsVR Vol. 77(5):307–329
  • http://www.seavegetables.com
  • Surey-Gent, S. & Morris G., 1987, Seaweed. A User's Guide. Whirret Books. London. p 56, 132
  • Zemke-White, W. L. & Ohno, M., 1999, World seaweed utilisation: An end-of-century summary. Journal of Applied Phycology 11: 369-376

More from Ahnfeltiaceae