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Name derivation:
Bangia : Named for Niels Hoffman Bang, a Danish botanist and squire fuscopurpurea: L. fuscopurpurea: dark purple or brownish purple common names: black or purple sea hair
Morphology:
Filaments are erect, uniseriate to multiseriate, cylindrical, unbranched, or expanded into narrow fronds above, and attached by rhizoidal outgrowths of basal cells. Growth is intercalary; cells are in irregular or regular rows, in a firm gelatinous sheath, lack pit connections, and cylindrical, quadrate, or polyhedral. Each cell has one axial, stellate plastid with a pyrenoid. Alternates with a shell-boring filamentous “conchocelis” stage that is its sporophyte.
Similar genera:
Chroodactylon, Erythrotrichopeltis, Erythrotrichia, Porphyra, Porphyropsis, Porphyrostromium, Sahlingia, Stylonema,
Habitat:
Growing in the littoral fringe, particularly during winter- late spring.
References:
Brodie, J. and L. M. Irvine. 2003. Seaweeds of the British Isles, Vol. 1. Rhodophyta, Part 3B. Bangiophycidae. Natural History Museum, London, xiii + 167 pp., 54 figs., 6 tables Taylor, W. R. 1957. Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America. Revised edition. Univ. Michigan Press., Ann Arbor, ix + 509 pp. (as B. atropurpurea).