Life History
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Egregia menziesii has an alteration of heteromorphic phases (1). The mature, diploid sporophyte is the beautiful plant we see attached to the rocks. The gametophyte is microscopic. Sporophylls are small blades found among the numerous large blades on the rachis and bear spore sacs called sori. The male and female gametophytes are microscopic and fertilization generally occurs in November. The motile zoospores are homosporous (2) and lack a dormant phase(3). |
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(1) Meyers, Margret E. 1928. "The Life History of the Brown Alga, Egregia menziesii." University of California Publications in Botany, v. 14.
(2) Present S. "Egregia menziesii The Feather Boa Kelp" Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. 1999. Phycological Society of America. 2005. http://www.mbari.org/staff/conn/botany/browns/sarahp/index.htm
(3)Abbott, I.A. and Hollenberg, G.J. (1976). Marine algae of California. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press.