Description: Fronds a flattened blade rising from a discoid holdfast which may split or remain entire, growing to 30 cms long, 5 cms wide and 4 - 8 cells thick.

Habitat: Not uncommon. Epilithic, epizoic in the lower littoral and to depths of 18 m.

Distribution: Widespread, from scattered sites around the British Isles. Europe: Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Baltic Sea, Sweden, Norway, Faroes and Iceland. Greenland. Atlantic coast of North America: Newfoundland in Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Long Island and New Jersey. Further afield: Arctic Seas: Spitzbergen, Murman Sea and Baffin Island.

Similar Species: Other species of Punctaria especially P.latifolia which is usually only 2 - 4 cells thick.

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

iNaturalist: Punctaria plantaginea at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Punctaria plantaginea at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Punctaria plantaginea (Roth) Greville, 1830. AphiaID: 145347.

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