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

Family Description:
The sporophyte is macroscopic and a summer annual. It is abundantly branched and often forms tangled masses of very fine branches. Growth occurs by transverse and vertical divisions of an apical cell. Unilocular sporangia are somewhat sunken in the cortex. Each cell contains numerous discoidal chloroplasts.

Species description:
The sporophyte of this species is golden brown. The different orders of branches are progressively narrower, and branching is alternate, opposite or irregular. Branch tips taper to a single apical cell, which is seldom seen (under a microscope) because the branches are usually broken off below their tips. The overall aspect of the plant is very fine, compared to its common host, Chocolate Pencils (Chordaria flagelliformis). Golden Sea Hair can also occur epiphytically on species other than Chordaria, attach directly to rocks, or float freely over mudflats in quiet bays. Toward the end of summer, plants to 40 cm (16 in) or more can be found; earlier in the season they are smaller.