Lessonia nigrescens
Species of seaweed
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lessonia nigrescens, the grey weed or giant grey weed, is a South American kelp species in the genus Lessonia.
| Lessonia nigrescens | |
|---|---|
| |
| Lessonia nigrescens at El Quisco beach, Chile | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Sar |
| Clade: | Stramenopiles |
| Division: | Ochrophyta |
| Class: | Phaeophyceae |
| Order: | Laminariales |
| Family: | Lessoniaceae |
| Genus: | Lessonia |
| Species: | L. nigrescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Lessonia nigrescens Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1826 | |
There is at least two populations of the seaweed, marked by the difference in phenolic content. There is a subtidal population with higher phenol content and an intertidal population with a lighter phenol content. The difference in the phenolic content can be explained by the herbivory selection pressure due to the sea snail Tegula tridentata.[1]
UV treatment induces the production of phlorotannins that accumulate in physodes.[2]
This weed contains the phytosterol saringosterol that shows an inhibitory effect on Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth.[3]
