SEA LETTUCE

Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca), exposed at low tide (Ulva), any member of a genus of green algae usually found growing between high and low tide marks on rocky shores of seas and oceans. Fragments may be washed ashore by wave action. Ulva grows also in brackish water rich in organic matter or sewage. The thallus, which somewhat resembles a lettuce leaf, is a sheet of cells up to 30 cm (12 inches) long and two cells thick and is embedded in a tough gelatinous sheath. The life cycle consists of alternation of similar spore-producing (diploid) and gamete-producing (haploid) generations. Asexual reproduction is either by accidental fragmentation or by gametes that act like motile spores. Sea lettuce is rich in iodine and in vitamins A, B, and C. In some societies it is used in salads and soups.