Macrocystis pyrifera
Common names
Bladder kelp, giant kelp
Biostatus
Native
Category
Non-vascular
Simplified description
A species that grows to over 20 metres long and forms large forests in deep sheltered waters and is found in southern New Zealand. It is easily recognised by the gas-filled floats at the base of each frond which help to hold the kelp upright and so maximise the amount of sunlight the blades receive.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Other information
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
MACPYR