Is laver a plant?

Porphyra yezoensis is not a plant, but a general term for some symbiotic algae in the sea. There are many species, such as porphyra yezoensis, porphyra haitanensis, porphyra yezoensis and so on. Artificial cultivation has been carried out in the coastal areas of China. The output of porphyra yezoensis ranks first in the world at the beginning of the 21st century. It is rich in protein and iodine, phosphorus and calcium, for edible and medicinal purposes, and has the effects of resolving phlegm and soft firmness, clearing heat and diuresis, tonifying the kidney and nourishing the heart.

Porphyra yezoensis is often mistaken for a plant because it is capable of photosynthesis, but biologists generally believe that it is not a real plant because it has no real duct tissue (xylem and phloem), unlike aquatic plants. In addition, there are several kinds of cyanide bacteria related to seaweed. Most of the large seaweed grows in cold zones, and the artificially cultivated species are porphyra yezoensis and porphyra haitanensis.

Porphyra yezoensis has a simple shape and consists of a disc-shaped fixator, a stalk and a leaf. A leaf is a single or bifurcated membrane composed of one layer of cells (a few species consist of two or three layers). Its body length varies from a few centimeters to several meters. It contains chlorophyll, carotene, lutein, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin and other pigments. due to the difference in the proportion of chlorophyll, carotene, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin and other pigments, different kinds of porphyra yezoensis show purplish red, blue-green, brown-red, brown-green and other colors, but most of them are purple. Porphyra yezoensis got its name.

The Thallus of porphyra yezoensis mostly grows in the intertidal zone, likes the sea area with strong wind and waves, smooth tidal current and rich nutrients, has strong dry tolerance, suitable light intensity is 5000 ~ 6000 lux, has the characteristics of high light saturation point and low light compensation point, and is a high-yield crop. Porphyra yezoensis is mainly cultured in the coastal areas of Fujian and southern Zhejiang, while porphyra yezoensis is mainly cultured in the north.

Porphyra is rich in nutrition, its protein content is higher than that of kelp, and contains more carotene and riboflavin. Dried porphyra yezoensis contains 24 grams of protein, 0.9 grams of fat, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 330 milligrams of calcium, 440 milligrams of phosphorus, 32 milligrams of iron, 1.23 milligrams of carotene, 2.07 milligrams of riboflavin, 5.1 milligrams of nicotinic acid, 3.4 grams of alanine, 3.2 grams of glutamic acid, 2.4 grams of glycine, 2.6 grams of leucine, 1.4 grams of iso-leucine. Its protein, iron, phosphorus, calcium, riboflavin, carotene and other contents of all kinds of vegetables, so Laver is also known as "nutrition treasure house".