Green Algae (Chlorophyta)
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Green algae (Chlorophyta) are a diverse group ranging from microscopic unicellular organisms to large intertidal seaweeds. In British Columbia, they are abundant in both marine and freshwater environments. Conspicuous marine species like Ulva (Sea Lettuce) and Acrosiphonia (Green Rope) dominate the rocky intertidal zones of Vancouver Island. Freshwater species, such as the stoneworts (Chara), form complex underwater meadows in alkaline lakes. While generally non-toxic, some species like Codium fragile are invasive, and others can form nuisance blooms ("green tides") in nutrient-rich waters.
Species |
Name |
Family |
Status |
Hazards |
Edible |
Other |
Medicinal |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acrochaete apiculata | Endophytic Green Spot | Ulvellaceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Acrochaete cingens | (no common name) | Ulvellaceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Acrochaete codicola | Codium Endophyte | Ulvellaceae | Common (on Codium) | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Acrochaete geniculata | (no common name) | Ulvellaceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Acrochaete leptochaete | (no common name) | Ulvellaceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Acrochaete repens | Creeping Endophyte | Ulvellaceae | Common | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Acrochaete wittrockii | (no common name) | Ulvellaceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Acrosiphonia arcta | Arctic Sea Moss | Acrosiphoniaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Acrosiphonia mertensii | Green Rope | Acrosiphoniaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Acrosiphonia saxatilis | Rock Green Rope | Acrosiphoniaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Blidingia chadefaudii | (no common name) | Kornmanniaceae | Uncommon | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Blidingia dawsonii | (no common name) | Kornmanniaceae | Uncommon | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Blidingia marginata | (no common name) | Kornmanniaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Blidingia minima | Dwarf Sea Hair | Kornmanniaceae | Abundant (High Intertidal) | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Blidingia subsalsa | (no common name) | Kornmanniaceae | Occasional (Estuarine) | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Brachiomonas submarina | (no common name) | Chlamydomonadaceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Bryopsis corticulans | Sea Fern | Bryopsidaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Bryopsis plumosa | Green Sea Feathers | Bryopsidaceae | Common | Nuisance (Aquariums) |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Capsosiphon fulvescens | Gold-Green Algae | Capsosiphonaceae | Occasional | - |
Yes |
- |
Nutritional |
|
| Chaetomorpha brachygona | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Chaetomorpha californica | California Hair Algae | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Chaetomorpha cannabina | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Common | Tangles |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Chaetomorpha linum | Spaghetti Algae | Cladophoraceae | Common | Nuisance blooms |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Chaetomorpha melagonium | Thick Hair Algae | Cladophoraceae | Occasional | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Chaetomorpha nivalis | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Unknown | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Chaetomorpha picquotiana | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Chaetomorpha tortuosa | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Unknown | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Chara braunii | Braun's Stonewort | Characeae | Freshwater | - |
- |
Water quality indicator |
- |
|
| Chara canescens | Grey Stonewort | Characeae | Freshwater (Rare) | - |
- |
Water quality indicator |
- |
|
| Chara globularis | Delicate Stonewort | Characeae | Freshwater | - |
- |
Water quality indicator |
- |
|
| Chara vulgaris | Common Stonewort | Characeae | Freshwater (Common) | - |
- |
Mosquito control |
- |
|
| Chlamydomonas pulsatila | (no common name) | Chlamydomonadaceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Chlorochytrium porphyrae | Porphyra Endophyte | Chlorochytriaceae | Common (Endophytic) | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Cladophora albida | Whitish Cladophora | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Cladophora columbiana | Green Ball / Moss | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Cladophora flexuosa | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Cladophora hutchinsiae | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Cladophora laetevirens | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Cladophora microcladioides | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Cladophora sericea | Graceful Green Hair | Cladophoraceae | Abundant | Nuisance blooms |
No |
Nutrient Pollution Indicator |
- |
|
| Cladophora stimpsonii | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Codiolum petrocelidis | (no common name) | Ulotrichaceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Codium fragile | Dead Man's Fingers | Codiaceae | Invasive (Common) | Displaces natives |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Codium ritteri | Coarse Spongy Cushion | Codiaceae | Occasional | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Codium setchellii | Smooth Spongy Cushion | Codiaceae | Common | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Derbesia marina | Green Sea Felt | Derbesiaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Eugomontia sacculata | (no common name) | Gomontiaceae | Shell-boring | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Gayralia oxysperma | (no common name) | Ulotrichaceae | Uncommon | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Gomontia polyrhiza | (no common name) | Gomontiaceae | Shell-boring | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Halochlorococcum moorei | (no common name) | Chlorococcaceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Halochlorococcum porphyrae | (no common name) | Chlorococcaceae | Endophytic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Internoretia fryeana | (no common name) | Unknown | Endophytic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Klebsormidium flaccidum | (no common name) | Klebsormidiaceae | Terrestrial/Freshwater | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Kornmannia leptoderma | Seagrass Cellophane | Kornmanniaceae | Epiphytic | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Lola lubrica | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Microthamnion kuetzingianum | (no common name) | Microthamniaceae | Freshwater | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Monostroma grevillei | Sea Cellophane | Monostromataceae | Common | - |
Yes (Tasty) |
- |
- |
|
| Ostreobium quekettii | (no common name) | Bryopsidaceae | Shell-boring | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Percursaria percursa | (no common name) | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Phaeophila dendroides | (no common name) | Phaeophilaceae | Endophytic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Prasiola borealis | (no common name) | Prasiolaceae | Common | - |
- |
Guano Indicator |
- |
|
| Prasiola crispa | (no common name) | Prasiolaceae | Terrestrial | - |
- |
Nitrogen Indicator |
- |
|
| Prasiola linearis | (no common name) | Prasiolaceae | Common | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Prasiola meridionalis | Emerald Carpet | Prasiolaceae | Common | - |
- |
Guano Indicator |
- |
|
| Protococcus viridis | (no common name) | Chaetophoraceae | Terrestrial | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Protomonostroma undulatum | (no common name) | Ulvaceae | Uncommon | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Pyramimonas amylifera | (no common name) | Pyramimonadaceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Pyramimonas disomata | (no common name) | Pyramimonadaceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Pyramimonas orientalis | (no common name) | Pyramimonadaceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Rhizoclonium riparium | (no common name) | Cladophoraceae | Common | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Rhizoclonium tortuosum | Twisted Sea Hair | Cladophoraceae | Common | Tangle risk |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Rosenvingiella constricta | (no common name) | Prasiolaceae | Common | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Rosenvingiella polyrhiza | (no common name) | Prasiolaceae | Common | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Tetraselmis chui | (no common name) | Chlorodendraceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
Aquaculture Feed |
- |
|
| Tetraselmis maculata | (no common name) | Chlorodendraceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Tetraselmis marina | (no common name) | Chlorodendraceae | Microscopic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Trentepohlia aurea | Orange Felt Alga | Trentepohliaceae | Terrestrial | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Ulothrix flacca | Mermaid's Tresses | Ulotrichaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Ulothrix implexa | (no common name) | Ulotrichaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Ulothrix speciosa | (no common name) | Ulotrichaceae | Common | - |
No |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva californica | California Sea Lettuce | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva clathrata | (no common name) | Ulvaceae | Common | Green tides |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva compressa | Tape Weed | Ulvaceae | Abundant | Green tides |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva expansa | (no common name) | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva flexuosa | (no common name) | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva intestinalis | Gut Weed / Sea Hair | Ulvaceae | Abundant | Green tides |
Yes |
Bio-fuel source |
- |
|
| Ulva lactuca | Sea Lettuce | Ulvaceae | Abundant | Rotting gas (H2S) |
Yes (Choice) |
Bio-filter / Fertilizer |
Thyroid support |
|
| Ulva linza | Green String Lettuce | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva prolifera | Branched String Lettuce | Ulvaceae | Common | Green tides |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva stenophylla | (no common name) | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva taeniata | (no common name) | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulva torta | (no common name) | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
Yes |
- |
- |
|
| Ulvaria obscura | Dark Sea Lettuce | Ulvaceae | Common | - |
No (Bitter) |
- |
- |
|
| Ulvella setchellii | (no common name) | Ulvellaceae | Epiphytic | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Urospora neglecta | (no common name) | Ulotrichaceae | Common | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Urospora penicilliformis | Red-Green Wool | Ulotrichaceae | Common | Slippery (Haz) |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Urospora wormskioldii | (no common name) | Ulotrichaceae | Common | - |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Wittrockiella paradoxa | (no common name) | Pithophoraceae | Rare (Saltmarsh) | - |
- |
- |
- |