“Plant” of the day: feather boa kelp

Looking just like its name, feather boa kelp lies draped across the exposed rocks at low tide. This brown alga (Egregia menziesii) grows its “feathers” off of a long, straplike stalk that can be up to 15 feet long. Small air-filled floats are scattered among the feathers like bangles. The feathers are usually 2 to 4 inches long and can vary widely in shape; from flat (either broad or narrow) to cylindrical to threadlike.