Description:

Thallus fluffy, fine, filamentous creeping mats or tufts, to 4 cm high, bright light pink; branching irregular to alternate. Branches cylindrical, occasionally moniliform (with segments swollen or bead-like), 30-80 µm diam., central axial filament surrounded by 3 pericentral cells; cells commonly pointed at tips, twice as long as broad, each set rotated approximately 60°; apex with single prominent apical cell cutting off lens-shaped cell basally. Holdfast initially disc-like, later becoming branched, tangled, creeping, forming filamentous mass. Tetrasporangia solitary on outer filaments, not in groups or series, formed from one pericentral cell of segment.

Habitat:

Common: epiphytic on other algae, often on mangrove prop roots or on back-reef areas with gentle water motion; to 1(-14) m deep.

Distribution:

Pacific Mexico, Pacific Panama,

Type Information:

Type locality: 'Tirreno all' Isola d'Elba' Italy -- as Falkenbergia hillebrandii (Bornet) Falk.)

Classification:

Major Group: Rhodophyta - Class: Florideophyceae - Order: Bonnemaisoniales - Family: Bonnemaisoniace