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Bridgette Clarkston

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@funnyfishes

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Micro images

Image title:

Elusive evidence of new growth and body construction

Image description:

A beautiful, leafy Desmarestia (either D. herbacea or D. ligulata) just beginning to grow in springtime. Desmarestia have pseudoparenchymatous construction, meaning their bodies are composed of tightly-packed bundles of filaments. Growth is achieved via delicate trichothallic meristems found at the ends of main axes, which wear away as the seaweed grows. Here you can still see evidence of the filamentous construction within this new bladelet. The trichothallic meristem is at the apex of the bladelet, with many assimilatory filaments around the bladelet's edge.