Chondria decipiens

Thallus cartilaginous, coarse, bushy, 10-25(-35) cm high, dark purple. Branching sparse, irregular: forked at the lower portion of thallus, above alternate, unilateral and sometimes near to verticillate. Branches (4-5 orders) cylindrical, 1.5-2 mm diam., denuded below and covered above by short and long branchlets. Branchlets of the last order linear to fusiforme, sharply constricted at base and tapering to acute tips, 2-10 mm long. Sporangia spherical, (40)-80(-110) μm diam., tetrahedrally divided, develop in distal portions of branchlets. Cystocarps spherical to urceolate, 0.8-1.0(-1.5) mm diam., scattered on the branches. Attachment by disc-like holdfast and short creeping stolons above the holdfast. Growing at intertidal and upper subtidal to 3-5(-10) m depths on rocky, sandy and muddy bottom with pebbles, in sheltered and moderately exposed localities.

Note: This species is used in folk medicine; anthelmintic.

Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In countries of the Asia-Pacific Region: China, Japan (Hokkaido), Korea, Russia (Peter the Great Bay, Sakhalin Island).