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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or in the census. We are hoping to be able to reinstate services around December 15; we will provide an update at that time.

The notice period started at 9:00 am on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Monday, 15 December 2025 +08:00.

Bryopsis foliosa Sond.

Reference
Bot.Zeit. 49 (1845)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Scientific Description

Habit and structure. Thallus 4–10(–15) cm high, bushy and very densely branched with 3(–4) orders of branching, with few to numerous axes arising from a much branched, extensive, rhizoidal basal system, epilithic or epiphytic on Posidonia. Axes irregularly and densely branched above with some laterals strongly developed and basally denuded; young axes and laterals narrowly lanceolate in outline; branching of axes and laterals essentially radial but on plants epiphytic on Posidonia and Heterozostera branching on some older axes tending to be limited to opposite sides of the axes but irregularly placed. Axes (300–)400–1000 µm in diameter; main laterals 300–500 µm in diameter, lesser laterals 1–4 mm long, 100–200 µm in diameter; ramuli (0.2–)0.5–1 mm long, (50–)75–100(–125) µm in diameter, upwardly curved and slightly tapering; scars on laterals prominent.

Reproduction. Unknown.

Distribution. Apparently limited to the coast from Whitfords Beach to Hamelin Bay, and on Rottnest I., W. Aust.

Habitat. On rock platforms at low tide level and on Posidonia, Amphibolis and Zostera in shallow water.

[After Womersley, Mar. Benthic Fl. Southern Australia I: 278–280 (1984)]

John Huisman & Cheryl Parker, 3 August 2021

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Swan Coastal Plain.
IBRA Subregions
Perth.
IMCRA Regions
Central West Coast, Leeuwin-Naturaliste.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Dandaragan, Rockingham.