Gracilaria multipartita is a translucent, dull purple or reddish-brown algae which has fronds that measure up to 25 cm long. It is cartilaginous, very brittle, and has a compressed stipe.

MarLIN link

Link for Algae Handbook (Pereira, 2010).

Original publication: Harvey, W.H. (1846). Phycologia britannica, or, a history of British sea-weeds: containing coloured figures, generic and specific characters, synonymes, and descriptions of all the species of algae inhabiting the shores of the British Islands. , Text with plates, pls I-LXXVIII. London: Reeve & Benham.

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Original description: Download PDF from Alagebase

Origin of species name: Adjective (Latin), divided into many parts (Stearn 1973)

Taxonomic notes: Formerly reported from the north-eastern Atlantic as Gracilaria foliifera, an Indian Ocean species that apparently does not occur in the Atlantic (Guiry & Freamhainn 1985). See, also, Steentoft & Farnham (1997). Lawson & John (1987) note that Bodard ( pers. comm.) believes that the West African plants referred to this species closely resemble the Canary Island plant identified as Gracilaria lacinulata by Børgesen (1929). Bodard (1966a) suggests that most of the Sénégal plants formerly called G. dentata should more correctly be referred to the European G. foliifera (now G. multipartita) and that some of the African and Canary plants which had been given this latter name may be a new, and as yet, undescribed species. John et a. (2004) cite Gracilaria corallicola Zanardini, G. foliifera (Forssk.) Børgesen and G. lacinulata (H. West) M. Howe as synonyms of this species. They refer to Hardy & Guiry (2003) for comments concerning the status of records of Gracilaria foliifera in the Atlantic Ocean.

Trigenetic with isomorphic alternation of generations.

Reference: A review of the life history, reproduction and phenology of Gracilaria

Web link

Source potential of hydrocolloids: Agar

Notes: Has potential for commercial utilisation along Atlantic coast of Morocco.

Gracilaria multipartita is commercially used as an agar or agaroid raw material in the U.S.A.

References: Givernaud, T., El Gourji, A., Mouradi-Givernaud, A., Lemoine, Y. & Chiadmi, N. (1999). Seasonal variations of growth and agar composition of Gracilaria multipartita harvested along the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Proceedings of the International Seaweed Symposium 16: 167-172.

Chapman, V.J. & Chapman, D.J. (1980). Seaweeds and their uses. pp. [i-iv], v-ix, [x], 1-334. London & New York: Chapman & Hall.

Taxonomic source: Guiry, M.D. & Freamhainn, M.T. (1986). Biosystematics of Gracilaria foliifera (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta). Nordic Journal of Botany 5: 629-637.

Key references: Abbott, I.A. (1995). A decade of species of Gracilaria (sensu lato). In: Taxonomy of Economic Seaweeds. (Abbott, I.A. Eds) Vol.5, pp. 185-195. La Jolla, California: California Sea Grant College System.

Guiry, M.D. & Freamhainn, M.T. (1986). Biosystematics of Gracilaria foliifera (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta). Nordic Journal of Botany 5: 629-637. Web link

Steentoft, M. & Farnham, W.F. (1997). Northern distribution boundaries and thermal requirements of Gracilaria and Gracilariopsis (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) in Atlantic Europe and Scandinavia. Nordic Journal of Botany 17: 87-93. Web link

Mayhew, E.M., 2002. Gracilaria multipartita. A red seaweed. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 06/08/2008]. Available from: Web link

Greig-Smith, E. (1954). Cytological observations on Gracilaria multipartita. British Phycological Bulletin 1(2): 4-5.

Polifrone M.,Viera-Rodríguez M. A, Suárez-Santana J., Lazzoz G. & Pérez-Ruzafa I. (2005). Mapas de distribución de algas marinas de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares. XX. Gracilaria corallicola, G. gracilis, G. multipartita y Gracilariopsis longissima (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta). Botanica Complutensis 29: 77-83.

Basiony: Fucus multipartitus Clemente 

Type locality: Andalusia (Athanasiadis 1996: 64). Type: MA