Thallus bladder-like, smooth, slick, hollow, crisp, spherical to sac-like, irregularly expanded or somewhat lobed, to 30 cm diam., 10 cm high, golden-brown; often covered with fine colorless hairs; reproductive sori as dark raised patches on surface. Membrane 300-500 µm thick, of 4-6 cell layers; medullary cells to 240 µm diam.; cortex 1-2 cells thick; surface cells 3.7-8.0(-16) µm diam., darkly pigmented; surface -phaeophycean- hairs transparent, in scattered clusters. Holdfast not apparent, attachment at many points. Plurilocular sporangia cylindrical to club-shaped, 3.7-8.0 µm diam., 18-30 µm long, in dense clusters, scattered on surface, interspersed with sterile hairs; sterile hairs cylindrical to club-shaped, 8-16 µm diam., 25-50 µm long.

• Plants smooth
• hemispherical
• irregularly lobed
• golden brown
• hollow

Link for (Pereira, 2010) Handbook Guide

Direct use as food - Edible, used as food (Braune & Guiry, 2011).

Source of hydrocolloids - source of alginate. Contains: alginate/alginic acid.

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