Tag: Marine botany

The common brown seaweed known as bladderwrack played a pivotal role in the discovery of iodine by chemist Bernard Courtois in 1811. This widespread marine plant, found on North Atlantic coasts, is known by many other names that reflect its physical characteristics and historical uses, leading to potential confusion for enthusiasts and consumers.

According to taxonomic classification, the order Laminariales contains approximately 30 different genera, all of which are commonly referred to as kelp. This means that while Laminaria is indeed a type of kelp, the two terms are not interchangeable, as the broader kelp category includes many other distinct genera and species.

There are over 12,000 species of seaweed, debunking the common misconception that seaweed is just kelp. Seaweed is a broad, umbrella term for a diverse group of marine macroalgae, while kelp refers to a specific, large brown variety.