Tuscaloosa Fringeweed

Tuscaloosa Fringeweed has enhanced the traits of its ancestor. Its fronds have lengthened so as to increase solar gain, and it has doubled in size so as to increase the number of fronds it produces. Its reproduction has changed to increase the amount of zoospores its sporangia produce. Instead of only the five newest fronds having active sporangia, all the fronds have sporangia at their tips, each able to produce zoospores throughout the year. They grow best in sandy substrate and have been successful in colonizing wetlands within their range. To deal with low tide conditions and the threat of drying out, they have developed a waxy cuticle to prevent desiccation.