Cartilaginous, cylindrical, brownish-black fronds, repeatedly dichotomously branched, fastigiate, to 2 mm diam. and 300 mm long, with acute apices. Attached by much-branched rhizoids. Multiaxial, medulla of cylindrical cells interspersed with rhizoids, cortex of irregular filaments, inner cells elliptical, outer cells narrow, elongated, in radial rows.

Original publication: Lamouroux, J.V.F. (1813). Essai sur les genres de la famille des thalassiophytes non articulées. Annales du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris 20: 21-47, 115-139, 267-293, Plates 7-13.

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Source of hydrocolloids - source of hybrid carrageenan (Furcellaran).

A carrageenan-like phycocolloid (furcellaran) occurs in the cell walls; harvested in E Denamark and N germany until stocks became depleted (Braune & Guiry, 2011).

Barwell, C.J. (1983). The distribution of histamine in Furcellaria lumbricalis. British Phycological Journal 18: 200.
Barwell, C.J. (1989). Distribution of histamine in the thallus of Furcellaria lumbricalis. J Appl Phycol 1: 341-344.
Bird, C.J., Saunders, G.W. & Mclachlan, J. (1991). Biology of Furcellaria lumbricalis (Hudson) Lamouroux (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales), a commercial carrageenophyte. Journal of Applied Phycology 3: 61-82.
Bird, N.L., Chen, L.C.-M. & McLachlan, J. (1979). Effects of temperature, light and salinity on growth in culture of Chondrus crispus, Furcellaria lumbricalis, Gracilaria tikvahiae (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) and Fucus serratus (Fucales, Phaeophyta). Botanica Marina 22: 521-527.
Blunden, G., Smith, B.E. & Cary, P.D. (1989). Trans-4-hydroxy-ß-prolinebetaine, a new betaine from Furcellaria lumbricalis. J Appl Phycol 1(1): 1-4.
Holmsgaard, J. E., Greenwell, M. & McLachlan, J. (1981). Biomass and vertical distribution of Furcellaria lumbricalis and associated algae. Proceedings of the International Seaweed Symposium 10: 309-314.
Indergaard, M. & Knutsen, S.H. (1990). Seasonal differences in ash, carbon, fibre and nitrogen components of Furcellaria lumbricalis (Gigartinales, Rhodophyceae), Norway. Botanica Marina 33: 327-334.
Knutsen, S.H. & Grasdalen, H. (1987). Characterization of water-extractable polysaccarides from Norwegian Furcellaria lumbricalis (Huds.) Lamour. (Gigartinales, Rhodophyceae) by IR and NMR spectroscopy. Botanica Marina 30: 497-505.
Knutsen, S.H., Myslabodski, D.E. & Grasdalen, H. (1990). Characterization of carrageenan fractions from Norwegian Furcellaria lumbricalis (Huds.) Lamour. by ¹H-n.m.r. spectroscopy. Carbohydrate Research 206: 367-372.
Korolev, A., Kuznetzova, T.A. & Drozdetsky, V.G. (1993). Investigations of the Furcellaria lumbricalis distribution and abundance at the eastern coast of the Baltic sea. Proc. 13th Baltic Mar. Biol. Symp. : 9.
Kostamo, K. & Mäkinen, A. (2006). Observations on the mode and seasonality of reproduction in Furcellaria lumbricalis (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) populations in the northern Baltic Sea.. Botanica Marina 49(4): 304-309, 4 figs, 4 tables .
Maekinen, A., Kaeaeriae, J. & Rajasilta, M. (1988). Factors controlling the occurrence of Furcellaria lumbricalis (Huds.) Lamour. and Phyllophora truncata (Pallas) Zinova in the upper littoral of the archipelago of S.W. Finland. In: The Baltic Sea Environment: History, Euthrophication, Recruitment, Ecotoxicology. (Theede, H. & Schramm, W. Eds) Vol.6, pp. 140-146. Kieler Meeresforsch.
Martin, G., Paalme, T. & Kukk, H. (1996). Long-term dynamics of the commercially usable Furcellaria lumbricalis-Coccotylus truncatus community in Kassari Bay, west Estonian archipelago, the Baltic Sea. pp. 121-129. Gdynia, Poland: Baltic Coastal Fisheries Resource Management.
Martin, G., Paalme, T. & Torn, K. (2007). Seasonality pattern of biomass accumulation in a drifting Furcellaria lumbricalis community in the waters of the West Estonian Archipelago, Baltic Sea. Proceedings of the International Seaweed Symposium 18: 331-337.
Mikulich, D.V., Voloshchenko, I.A. & Medvedeva, E.I. (1988). The jelly-forming capacity of polysaccharides from the red algae Furcellaria lumbricalis (Huds.) Lamour. and Phyllophora truncata (Pall.) Newroth et Taylor (the Bight of Kassari of the Baltic Sea). Rast. Resur. 24(3): 456-460.
Novaczek, I. & Breeman, A.M. (1990). Thermal ecotypes of amphi-Atlantic algae. II. Cold-temperate species (Furcellaria lumbricalis and Polyides rotundus). Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen 44: 475-485.
Tuvikene, R., Truus, K., Robal, M., Volobujeva, O., Mellikov, E., Pehk, T., Kollist, A., Kailas, T. & Vaher, M. (2010). The extraction, structure, and gelling properties of hybrid galactan from the red alga Furcellaria lumbricalis (Baltic Sea, Estonia). Journal of Applied Phycology 22: 51-63.
Valatka, S., Mäkinen, A. & Yli-Mattila, T. (2000). Analysis of genetic diversity of Furcellaria lumbricalis (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) in the Baltic Sea by RAPD-PCR technique. Phycologia 39: 109-117.

Basionym: Fucus lumbricalis Hudson

Type locality: [unlocalised; certainly England] (Hudson 1762: 471). Lectotype: BM (Dixon & Irvine 1977: 181). Notes: An unlocalised, undated Hudson specimen accepted provisionally as of lectotype status by Dixon & Irvine (1977: 181).