| Irish moss | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A-DChondrus crispus ; E-FMastocarpus stellatus | |
Scientific classification | |
| Clade: | Archaeplastida |
| Division: | Rhodophyta |
| Class: | Florideophyceae |
| Order: | Gigartinales |
| Family: | Gigartinaceae |
| Genus: | Chondrus |
| Species: | C. crispus |
| Binomial name | |
| Chondrus crispus | |
Chondrus crispus—commonly calledIrish moss orcarrageenan moss (Irishcarraigín, "little rock")—is a species ofred algae[1] which grows abundantly along the rocky parts of theAtlantic coasts of Europe and North America. In its fresh condition it is soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from a greenish-yellow, through red, to a dark purple or purplish-brown. The principal constituent is a mucilaginous body, made of the polysaccharidecarrageenan, which constitutes 55% of its dry weight. The organism also consists of nearly 10% dry weight protein and about 15% dry weight mineral matter, and is rich iniodine andsulfur. When softened in water it has a sea-like odour. Because of the abundant cell wall polysaccharides, it will form ajelly when boiled, containing from 20 to 100 times its weight of water.
Chondrus crispus is a relatively small sea alga, reaching up to a little more than 20 centimetres (7+3⁄4 in) in length. It grows from a discoidholdfast and branches four or five times in a dichotomous, fan-like manner. The morphology is highly variable, especially the broadness of the thalli. The branches are 2–15 mm broad and firm in texture, and the color ranges from bright green towards the surface of the water, to deep red at greater depths.[2] Thegametophytes (see below) often show a blueiridescence at the tip of the fronds[3] and fertile sporophytes show a spotty pattern.Mastocarpus stellatus (Stackhouse) Guiry is a similar species which can be readily distinguished by its strongly channelled and often somewhat twisted thalli.
Irish moss undergoes analternation of generation lifecycle common in many species of algae. The two distinct stages are the sexualhaploidgametophyte stage and the asexualdiploidsporophyte stage. In addition, a third stage – thecarposporophyte – is formed on the female gametophyte after fertilization. The male and female gametophytes produce gametes which fuse to form a diploid carposporophyte, which formscarpospores, which develops into the sporophyte. The sporophyte then undergoesmeiosis to produce haploid tetraspores (which can be male or female) that develop into gametophytes. The three stages (male, female, and sporophyte) are difficult to distinguish when they are not fertile; however, the gametophytes often show a blue iridescence.
Chondrus crispus is commonly found along the shores of Ireland and the coast of Europe includingIceland, theFaroe Islands,[4] westernBaltic Sea to southern Spain.[5] It is found on the Atlantic coasts of Canada[5][6] and recorded from California in the United States to Japan.[5] However, any distribution outside the Northern Atlantic needs to be verified.There are also other species of the same genus in the Pacific Ocean, for example,C. ocellatus Holmes,C. nipponicus Yendo,C. yendoi Yamadaet Mikami,C. pinnulatus (Harvey) Okamura andC. armatus (Harvey) Yamadaet Mikami.[7]
Chondrus crispus is found growing on rock from the middle intertidalzone into the subtidal zone,[8] all the way to the ocean floor. It is able to survive with minimal sunlight.
C. crispus is susceptible to infection from theoomycetePythium porphyrae.[9][10]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 205 kJ (49 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12.29 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sugars | 0.61 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dietary fiber | 1.3 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.16 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.51 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated usingUS recommendations for adults,[11] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation fromthe National Academies.[12] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
C. crispus is an industrial source ofcarrageenan commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer in milk products, such asice cream and processed foods.[13] In Europe, it is indicated asE407 or E407a. It may also be used as a thickener in calico printing and paper marbling, and forfining beer.[13][14] Irish moss is frequently used withMastocarpus stellatus (Gigartina mamillosa),Chondracanthus acicularis (G. acicularis), and otherseaweeds, which are all commonly found growing together. Carrageenan may be extracted from tropical seaweeds of the generaKappaphycus andEucheuma.[15]
C. crispus, compared to most otherseaweeds, is well-investigated scientifically. It has been used as a model species to studyphotosynthesis, carrageenanbiosynthesis, and stress responses. Thenuclear genome was sequenced in 2013.[16] The genome size is 105Mbp and is coding for 9,606 genes. It is characterised by relatively few genes with very fewintrons. The genes are clustered together, with normally short distances between genes and then large distances between groups of genes.
Authority control databases: National |
|---|
