E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Family Description:
These are all very finely branched red seaweeds. Plants are often uniseriate (monosiphonous) filaments, which are corticated by small cells or rhizoids in some species. These filaments are the main axis of the plant. Branching is opposite, alternate, or verticillate (with branches arranged in whorls around the axis). Many branches have determinate growth, and are usually called branchlets, but a few continue to grow to produce new axes like the one bearing them (these continue to be called branches). Tetrasporangia are cruciately or tetrahedrally divided. In some cases, bisporangia (sporangia containing two spores) or polysporangia (sporangia containing many spores) are borne in place of tetrasporangia. Cystocarps are naked or at most surrounded by involucral filaments. Most plants in this family are quite small and require a microscope or very good hand lens to see these diagnostic features.

Species description:
In our area, delicate, deep red, filamentous algae occur as epiphytes on Sea Staghorn (Codium fragile), especially on axial stems near the base. These are species of Ceramium, irregularly or dichotomously branched species whose tips can curve towards each other like minute crab pincers. The stems of Ceramium are cylindrical. The species of Ceramium are difficult to distinguish, but Staghorn Felt is up to 18 cm (7 in) long and the main branches carry many short side branches. Other species of Ceramium are also present in our area.