Description: Fronds erect, membranous and flattened rising from a small discoid holdfast. Blades generally simple to 30 cms or more long 8 cms wide and up to 4 (rarely 6) cells thick.

Habitat: Uncommon. Epiphytic on other algae, sometimes epilithic, littoral and sublittoral to 15 m.

Distribution: Widespread around the coasts of the British Isles. Europe: Mediterranean and the Black Sea, Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands, Baltic Sea, Norway, Faroes, Spitzbergen and Iceland. Greenland. Atlantic coast of North America: Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Long Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Further afield: Caribbean, Alaska, Australia and New Zealand.

Similar Species: Other species of Punctaria.

Distribution Map from NBN: Punctaria latifolia at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Punctaria latifolia at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Punctaria latifolia at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Punctaria latifolia Greville, 1830. AphiaID: 145346.

Classification: Biota; Chromista; Harosa; Heterokonta; Ochrophyta; Phaeophyceae; Fucophycidae; Ectocarpales; Chordariaceae; Punctaria