Page 282 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Dwarf Rockweed, Pelvetiopsis
limitata (FUCACEAE)
DWARF ROCKWEED grows on the west coast of
North America on rocky substrates. It looks like a
delicate, juvenile bladderwrack or rockweed, but
lacks air sacks. Even though its main mode of disper-
sal is from parts of the mature plant breaking off in
the waves and being carried away, it is susceptible to
trampling, so tread carefully around it.
TIDAL ZONE: around the high tide line; It often
thrives in strong surf.
FROND: The fronds are heavily branched and lobed
giving it a very bushy, clumping appearance. Each
frond curls inward at its base and flattens out at the
tips. Fronds usually grows between 1 ½ inches-3
inches (4-8cm) long, but can reach up to 6 inches
(15cm) in ideal conditions. They are light brown to ol- and it is my favorite seaweed to add to a stir-fry.
ive green in color with no central midrib. The rounded,
lobed tips swell and become warty when it’s ready to
reproduce, but are smooth and shiny in other times of
the year.
HOLDFAST: A small, disc-shaped holdfast attaches
directly to the fronds (no stipe).
EDIBLE PARTS: fronds
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Holdfast, CC-BY-2.0
Jerry Kirkhart, CC-BY-2.0
Peter D. Tillman, CC-BY-SA-2.0
KEY MEDICINAL USES: It is a strong anti-inflamma-
tory, anti-oxidant and anti-coagulant. Dwarf Rock-
weed is being studied for its ability to regulated blood
sugar levels and remove cancer cells (apoptosis). It is
also a common ingredient in weight loss formulas as
well as in topical preparations such as anti-wrinkle
products and skin-whitening sunscreens.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Harvest the fronds all
year, but avoid harvesting during the reproductive
stage in late spring and summer. Leave at least an
inch of the frond attached to its holdfast for rapid re-
covery. Blanching dwarf rockweed will make it turn
a brighter shade of green and keeps it crunchy. Many
people eat dwarf rockweed in salads and starters,
DWARF ROCKWEED DIP: Ingredients: 1 cup of
blanched dwarf rockweed, 1 cup of sour cream, 1
chopped spring onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp. vinegar
or lemon juice, a pinch of sugar and black pepper. Dice
the blanched dwarf rockweed and mix all of the in-
gredients together. Serve with crackers, carrot sticks
and/or potato wedges.