Parviphycus antipai

Thallus small, consisting of prostrate stolons bearing simple erect branches 1–3 mm high under right angle, redish-brown in color. Stolons terete, 50–70 μm diam, tapering to apical cell. Erect branches subterete to slightly compressed, simple (rarely branched), 40–75 μm wide, tapering to apical cell. Cortical cells isodiametric to slightly elongate, 8–10 μm across. Tetrasporangial stichidia as terminating the erect branches, cylindrical, rarely lanceolate, pointed at tips, 70–90 μm in diam., 150–600 μm long. Tetrasporangia spherical, 20–35 μm in diam., irregularly cruciately or tetrahedrally divided, are developed in regular sequence from the apex, 4 per segment. Attachment by unicellular rhizoids originating from external cortical cells of prostrate stolons. Growing on hard substratum and mollusks, forming turf with other algae in the intertidal and upper subtidal zones.

Tropics and subtropics.