Chondracanthus exasperatus

Chondracanthus exasperatus
Turkish towel
Scientific classification
Clade: Archaeplastida
Division: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Gigartinales
Family: Gigartinaceae
Genus: Chondracanthus
Species:
C. exasperatus
Binomial name
Chondracanthus exasperatus
(Harvey & Bailey) Hughey 1996
Synonyms

Chondracanthus exasperatus, commonly called Turkish towel, is a species of seaweed in the family Gigartinaceae. The specific epithet exasperatus (lit. 'roughened') refers to the bumpy texture of the blades (leaf-like structures). This texture also leads to the common name which evokes the luxurious feel of a towel from a Turkish bath. The rough, papillae-strewn blade surface even makes it difficult to measure the temperature using infrared thermometers.