Taxon Description (Wikipedia)
Mastocarpus stellatus, also called
Clúimhín Cait (cats' puff),
carragheen, or
false Irish moss, is a species of red algae closely related to Irish Moss, or
Chondrus crispus. It is collected in Ireland and Scotland, together with
Chondrus crispus as Irish Moss, dried, and sold for cooking and as the basis for a drink reputed to ward off colds and flu. The fronds are channelled unlike those of
Chondrus crispus, and it has a curved stipe whereas
Chondrus has a flat one. It occurs commonly on rocks in the mid- and lower-intertidal.
Mastocarpus stellatus is able to coexist with
C. crispus on the northern New England coast despite being a competitive inferior to
C. crispus. A greater tolerance for freezing...
full article at Wikipedia
