BULL KELP
· Also known as “Bullwhip Kelp.”
· Each plant consists of a gas-filled float, which keeps the kelp's blades near the water's surface, and a sinuous, chestnut-colored stem [or stipe] resembling a 'bull whip.'
· Kelp anchors to hard surfaces on the ocean floor by means of root-like holdfasts. But unlike terrestrial plant roots, kelp plants absorb nutrients directly from seawater.
· Predominantly an annual plant, although mature individuals can persist for up to 18 months.
· Impressive growth rates of up to 4 inches per day have been observed in young plants, and the mature surface canopy reaches its maximum extent in late summer.
· Stipe growth responds to blue wavelengths of light, while blade growth is stimulated by the red wavelengths.
· Each plant consists of a gas-filled float, which keeps the kelp's blades near the water's surface, and a sinuous, chestnut-colored stem [or stipe] resembling a 'bull whip.'
· Kelp anchors to hard surfaces on the ocean floor by means of root-like holdfasts. But unlike terrestrial plant roots, kelp plants absorb nutrients directly from seawater.
· Predominantly an annual plant, although mature individuals can persist for up to 18 months.
· Impressive growth rates of up to 4 inches per day have been observed in young plants, and the mature surface canopy reaches its maximum extent in late summer.
· Stipe growth responds to blue wavelengths of light, while blade growth is stimulated by the red wavelengths.