Sargassum Sargassum Sargassum is a genus of brown (class Phaeophyceae) macroalgae (seaweed) in the order Fucales. Numerous species are distributed throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world, where they generally inhabit shallow water and coral reefs, and the genus is widely known for its planktonic (free-floating) species. Most species within the class Phaeophyceae are predominantly cold-water organisms that benefit from nutrients upwelling, but the genus "Sargassum" appears to be an exception. Any number of the normally benthic species may take on a planktonic, often pelagic existence after being removed from reefs during rough weather; however, two species ("S. natans"
Sargassum to cover the entirety of the Sargasso Sea, making navigation impossible, it has since been found to occur only in drifts. "Sargassum" species ares also cultivated and cleaned for use as an herbal remedy. Many Chinese herbalists prescribe powdered "Sargassum"—either the species "S. pallidum", or more rarely, hijiki, "S. fusiforme"—in doses of 0.5 gram dissolved in warm water and drunk as a tea. It is called in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used to resolve "heat phlegm". Species of this genus of algae may grow to a length of several metres. They are generally brown or dark green in