Dictyota dichotoma (Hudson) Lamouroux Classification Phylum: Phaeophyta Family: Dictyotaceae Tribe: Dictyoteae

*Descriptive name variable fork-tips German name: common forked tongue§ brown fork Habitat: Marine Algae D. dichotoma Common species occur in warmer species few sp in temperate waters submergerd attached to rocks Vegetative structure: plants gametophytic or sorophytic thalli erect, flat , ribbon shaped and branched branching dichotomus or pinnate lie in same plane thalli macroscopic disc shaped tubular rhzomaus hold fast thallus cylindricalat base upper portion is flat and ribbon shaped with dentate margin leathery texture

Internal Structur: Thallus is made of three layers of cells. Upper and lower layer caller upper and lower epidermis respectively Middle layer called medulla Cells of epidermis are small, compact, thin walled and photosynthetic they contain abumdane chromatophores. cells of medula large, thick walled, colourless. they contain fucosan vesicles and store food reserave . Septa between medullary cells bear pits. Epidermal cells grow out into multicellular and uniseriate cluster of hairs

Asexual reproduction: Vegetative by branches or stolons. Fragmentaion By spores: aplanosores, single or in groups, called tetraspores.

Diagrammatic representation of the sexual life cycle of Dictoya