The image, above, shows the full Brown Leafweed alga(Petalonia fasciata) growing attached to a rock, left.
Also shown is an isolated form of the alga (right) clearly
showing its fronds..
| Common Name: Brown Leafweed |
| Scientific Name: Rumex alpinus |
| Other Names: Petal Weed, False Kelp |
| Family: Scytosiphonaceae |
| Range: North Pacific, Bering Sea, Arctic Ocean, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Baltic Sea, North Sea coasts |
Physical Characteristics
Petalonia fasciata is a small brown alga, growing to 20cm (8 in) in long by 2cm (1 in) broad. The alga is a member of the Scytosiphonaceae family that is often solitary and is typically seen between late autumn and early summer.
|
| Edible Parts: Fronds |
 Edibility Rating: 4 
|
 Known Hazards: Though not toxic reports have been found for serrated wrack, like all sea vegetables (seaweed) they should only be collected where they grow in clean water and far away from effluent pipes and other sources of sewage.
|
Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Brown Leafweed along with all the Brown Leafweed containing recipes presented on this site, with 3 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Brown Leafweed as a major wild food ingredient.
Brown Leafweed, Petalonia fasciata (also known as Petal Weed, False Kelp) is a small brown alga (and a member of the Scytosiphonaceae family) that is typically brown in colour (but which can also be olive green) and which is distributed in the temperate zones of the northern and southern hemispheres (sea temperatures between 0°C and 17°C). Typically it is seen between late autumn and early summer and is a small brown alga (growing up to 20cm long) and has an appearance very similar to that of Saccharina latissima (Sugar Kelp) but without the prominent stipe, hence the name commonly given to it in the Canadian Arctic of 'false kelp'. The alga has a small discoid attachment base, sometimes incrusted, from which emerge fronds some 20cm long and 4 to 6cm wide that are flattened, lanceolate or with a slight sickling curve. They are long, sometimes featuring wavy edges and a round or pointed apex. Often several specimens will grow together from a joint basal disc. The species tends to be common in the intertidal and prefers nutrient-rich waters with relatively high iodine concentrations. Annual species, particularly abundant during spring, not frequent but characteristic, usually epiphyte; found on vertical, shaded substrates near the surface in waters rich of organic substances (harbours, urban waste pipes...).
This seaweed is high in sugar and starch and has an agreeable flavour which means it can be used cooked or raw; it also dries well and can be re-constituted. Being common in winter months it used to be collected extensively by tidal communities during the 'hungry gap' that marks the end of winter, just before the beginning of spring. Brown leafweed can be prepared and used in a very similar fashion to Dulse, which it resembles.
For other edible seaweed (sea vegetables), see the guide to edible seaweed
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Brown Leafweed as a major wild food ingredient.
Brown Leafweed, Petalonia fasciata (also known as Petal Weed, False Kelp) is a small brown alga (and a member of the Scytosiphonaceae family) that is typically brown in colour (but which can also be olive green) and which is distributed in the temperate zones of the northern and southern hemispheres (sea temperatures between 0°C and 17°C). Typically it is seen between late autumn and early summer and is a small brown alga (growing up to 20cm long) and has an appearance very similar to that of Saccharina latissima (Sugar Kelp) but without the prominent stipe, hence the name commonly given to it in the Canadian Arctic of 'false kelp'. The alga has a small discoid attachment base, sometimes incrusted, from which emerge fronds some 20cm long and 4 to 6cm wide that are flattened, lanceolate or with a slight sickling curve. They are long, sometimes featuring wavy edges and a round or pointed apex. Often several specimens will grow together from a joint basal disc. The species tends to be common in the intertidal and prefers nutrient-rich waters with relatively high iodine concentrations. Annual species, particularly abundant during spring, not frequent but characteristic, usually epiphyte; found on vertical, shaded substrates near the surface in waters rich of organic substances (harbours, urban waste pipes...).
This seaweed is high in sugar and starch and has an agreeable flavour which means it can be used cooked or raw; it also dries well and can be re-constituted. Being common in winter months it used to be collected extensively by tidal communities during the 'hungry gap' that marks the end of winter, just before the beginning of spring. Brown leafweed can be prepared and used in a very similar fashion to Dulse, which it resembles.
For other edible seaweed (sea vegetables), see the guide to edible seaweed
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Brown Leafweed recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 3 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Buttered Petalonia Origin: Britain | Dried Petalonia Origin: Britain | Petalonia Croquettes Origin: Britain |
Page 1 of 1