Caulerpaceae

/kɔːˌlɜːrpəˈeɪsiː/ noun

Definition

A family of green algae that includes the genus Caulerpa and related seaweeds with distinctive stem-and-leaf-like structures.

Etymology

New Latin taxonomic family name derived from Caulerpa with the standard Latin family suffix '-aceae', following binomial nomenclature conventions established by Linnaeus.

Kelly Says

This family represents one of botany's strangest classification challenges—organisms that look like plants, behave like plants, but are actually single massive cells that can span several feet across the ocean floor.

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