Phaeophyte
/ˈfiː.oʊ.faɪt/noun
A brown alga, especially one belonging to the class Phaeophyceae.
Did you know?Phaeophytes get their brown or olive coloring largely from fucoxanthin, a pigment that masks their green chlorophyll and helps them thrive in deeper coastal water.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
φαιός (phaios)
“Dusky, gray-brown, or dark-colored”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φυτόν (phyton)
“Plant or growing thing”
19th Century
Scientific Greek/Latin
Phaeophyta
“The group of brown algae, literally “dusky plants””
19th Century
Scientific English
phaeophyte
“A member of the brown-algal group”
Modern English
English
phaeophyte
“A brown alga”
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