Irish moss

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Irish moss

A-D Chondrus crispus ; E-F Gigartina mamillosa

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Protista
Phylum:	Rhodophyta
Class:	Rhodophyceae
Order:	Gigartinales
Family:	Gigartinaceae
Genus:	Chondrus
Species:	C. crispus

Binomial name

Chondrus crispus
Stackhouse

Irish moss, or carrageen moss (Irish carraigín, "moss of the rock") is a species of red algae (Chondrus crispus) which grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of Europe and North America. It can also be found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and parts of the Mediterranean. In its fresh condition the plant is soft and cartilaginous, varying in colour from a greenish-yellow to a dark purple or purplish-brown; but when washed and sun-dried for preservation it has a yellowish translucent horn-like aspect and consistency. The principal constituent of Irish moss is a mucilaginous body, of which it contains about 55%; the plant also has nearly 10% of protein and about 15% of mineral matter, and is rich in iodine and sulphur. When softened in water it has a sea-like odour, and because of the abundant mucilage it will form a jelly when boiled, containing from 20 to 30 times its weight of water.

1 Description
2 Distribution
3 Food
4 Life Cycle
5 References
6 External Links

[edit] Description

Chondrus crispus is a relatively small red algae little more than 20cms long growing from a discoid holdfast and branching in a dichotomous, fan-like, manner four or five times. the branches are 2 - 15 mm broad, firm in texture and dark reddish brown in colour bleaching to yellowish in sunlight. Mastocarpus stellatus is a similar species which can be readily distinguished being strongly channelled and often somewhat twisted. The cystocarpic plants of Mastocarpus show reproductive papillae quite distinctively different from Chondrus.^[1]

[edit] Distribution

[edit] Food

Irish moss is a major source of carrageenan, which is commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer in processed foods, including ice cream and luncheon meat. It may also be used as a thickener in calico-printing and for fining beer or wine. Irish moss is frequently mixed with Mastocarpus stellatus (Gigartina mammillosa), Chondracanthus acicularis (G. acicularis) and other seaweeds with which it is associated in growth. Carrageenan and agar-agar are also used in Asia for gelatin-like deserts such as almond jelly.

Irish moss is also a beverage popular in the Caribbean (most notably Jamaica), and is made by boiling the Irish moss for about an hour in water, and a flavouring, among which Vanilla or Strawberry are popular, and then milk or Sweetened Condensed Milk is added, or sometimes it is made flavourless and once the milk has been added rum and spices are then added. It is usually served chilled, is very thick and is sometimes thought to have aphrodisiac qualities. It is also now available ready made, tinned.

[edit] Life Cycle

Chondrus crispus undergoes an alternation of generation life cycle common in many species of algae. There are two distinct stages: the sexual haploid gametophyte stage and the asexual diploid sporophyte stage. In addition there is a third stage- the carposporophyte, which is formed on the female gametophyte after fertilization. The male and female gametophytes produce gametes which fuse to form a diploid carposporophyte, which forms carpospores, which develops into the sporophyte. The sporophyte then undergoes meiosis to produce haploid tetraspores (which can be male of female) that develop into gametophytes. The three stages (male, female and sporophyte) are difficult to distinguish when they are not fertile; however, the gametophytes often show a blue irridescence.

[edit] References

^ Dixon, P.S.and Irvine, L.M. 1977 Seaweeds of the British Isles. Vol. 1 Rhodophyta Part 1: Introduction, Nemaliales, Gigartinales. British Museum (Natural History), London. ISBN 0 565 00781 5