Phyllophora

a genus of red algae. The thallus is lamellate, simple, or branched and measures as much as 50 cm in height. Reproduction is by means of carpospores (which are formed sexually), tetraspores, and fragments of thalli; in some species sporophytes, in the form of small protuberances, grow on the gametophytes.

The genus embraces approximately 15 species, which inhabit cold and temperate seas. In the USSR there are five species. The algae are used for the production of the gelatin-forming substance carrageenin.