美国国家地理图片精选·植物花卉

    原文：The sequoia of the sea, a giant bladder kelp (Macrocystic pyrifera) floats with the current in Californias Monterey Bay. Reaching 200 feet (61 meters) in length, the plant serves double duty: It provides habitat and nourishment for marine life and is a source of algin, a stabilizing, thickening, gelling, and suspending agent used in human food preparation.

    Photograph by David Doubilet

    意译：海洋中的美洲杉，一个巨大的球胆海藻飘浮到加利福尼亚的蒙特里杰克海湾。它能够延伸达到61米长，这种植物有双倍义务：它供应动植物的生活环境和食物，维持海产品的生命，也是为褐藻胶提供水源，稳定化处理，使之变厚，胶凝作用和悬浮，为人类食品做准被。