| Lithothamnion Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| L. glaciale showing conceptacles. Millimetre scale | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Archaeplastida |
| Division: | Rhodophyta |
| Class: | Florideophyceae |
| Order: | Corallinales |
| Family: | Hapalidiaceae |
| Genus: | Lithothamnion Heydrich, 1897 |
Lithothamnion is a genus of thalloid red alga comprising 103 species. Its members are known by a number of common names.note 1 The monomerous, crustose thalli are composed of a single system of filaments which grow close to the underlying surface. Lithothamnion reproduces by means of multiporate conceptacles.
Species
The valid species currently considered to belong to this genus are:
- L. album
- L. antarcticum
- L. apiculatum
- L. asperulatum
- L. aucklandicum
- L. australe
- L. brasiliense
- L. breviaxe
- L. calcareum
- L. californicum
- L. capense
- L. carolii
- L. chathamense
- L. circumscriptum
- L. colliculosum
- L. corallioides
- L. coralloides
- L. cottonii
- L. coulmanicum
- L. crispatum
- L. dehiscens
- L. diguetii
- L. ectocarpon
- L. elegans
- L. engelhartii
- L. esperi
- L. expansum
- L. flavescens
- L. fornicatum
- L. fragiissimum
- L. fruticulosum
- L. fuegianum
- L. geppiorum
- L. gibbosum
- L. giganteum
- L. glaciale
- L. grade
- L. grande
- L. granuliferum
- L. guadalupense
- L. hamelii
- L. haptericola
- L. hauckii
- L. heterocladum
- L. heteromorphum
- L. incrustans
- L. indicum
- L. insigne
- L. intermedium
- L. islei
- L. japonicum
- L. kerguelenum
- L. labradorense
- L. lacroixi
- L. laminosum
- L. lemoineae
- L. magnum
- L. maldivicum
- L. mangini
- L. margaritae
- L. marlothii
- L. minervae
- L. montereyicum
- L. muelleri
- L. murmanicum
- L. neglectum
- L. nitidum
- L. nodulosum
- L. norvegicum
- L. notarisii
- L. novae-zelandiae
- L. occidentale
- L. pacificum
- L. pauciporosum
- L. peleense
- L. peruviense
- L. philippii
- L. phymatodeum
- L. pocillum
- L. polymorphum
- L. praefruticulosum
- L. proliferum
- L. propontidis
- L. rugosum
- L. ruptile
- L. scabiosum
- L. sejunctum
- L. sonderi
- L. soriferum
- L. spissum
- L. squarrulosum
- L. tenue
- L. thelostegium
- L. tophiforme
- L. tusterense
- L. ungeri
- L. valens
- L. validum
- L. van
- L. vanheurckii
- L. vescum
- L. volcanum
Uses
The species Lithothamnium calcareum is, besides Tricalcium phosphate, often used as food fortification in plant-based milk substitutes to achieve a similar calcium content as a cow milk which is around 120 mg/100 ml.2 However, in April 2021 the European Court of Justice forbade its use in organic food products such as drinks.3456
Notes
Notes
- Recorded common names are griuán, maërl, punalevä-suku, stenhinna and maerl.
References
References
- Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. (2008). "Lithothamnion". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
- Taylor, Thomas N; Taylor, Edith L; Krings, Michael (2009). Paleobotany: the biology and evolution of fossil plants. ISBN 978-0-12-373972-8.
- Klapp, Anna-Lena, ed. (October 2019), "OTHER PLANT MILKS", The Plant Milk Report, Berlin: ProVeg e. V., p. 16, ISBN 978-3-948516-00-0, retrieved 2021-03-02
- EU Court Forbids Calcium Sourced From Algae in Organic Drinks (Courthouse News Service)
- Important European Court of Justice decision on adding non-organic ingredients to organic drinks (The National Law Review)
- EU law prohibits the addition of the alga Lithothamnium calcareum in the processing of organic foodstuffs for the purpose of their enrichment with calcium (Case C-815/19) (ECJ)
- Full text of judgment in case C-815/19 (ECJ)