Alaria (alga)

"Sarumen" redirects here. For the fictional Tolkien character, see Saruman.

Alaria
Alaria esculenta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Diaphoretickes
Clade: SAR
Clade: Stramenopiles
Phylum: Gyrista
Subphylum: Ochrophytina
Class: Phaeophyceae
Order: Laminariales
Family: Alariaceae
Genus: Alaria
Greville, 1830

Alaria is a genus of brown alga (Phaeophyceae) comprising approximately 17 species. Members of the genus are dried and eaten as a food in Western Europe, China, Korea, Japan (called sarumen), and South America.[1] Distribution of the genus is a marker for climate change, as it relates to oceanic temperatures.[2]

The most common species, Alaria esculenta is a large brown seaweed common on the shores of the British Isles.[3] It has been studied for its potential for aquaculture.[4]

  1. ^ Sharma, O. P. (2001). Textbook of Algae. McGraw Hill. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-07-451928-8.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference algae base was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Hardy, F.G. and Guiry, M.D. 2003. A Check-list and Atlas of the Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland
  4. ^ Kraan, S., Tramullas, A.V. and Guiry, M.D. (2000) The edible brown seaweed Alaria esculenta (Phaeophyceae, Laminariales): hybridization, growth and genetic comparisons of six Irish populations. Journal of Applied Phycology 12: 1573-1576