IPostelsia is 



Gloiopeltis calliformis ( F u n o r i ) . 

 This species, with others of the genus, 

 is occasionally used as a food, being 

 cooked in soup. Its more ordinary use, 

 however, is as a starch for clothes. The 

 plants are bleached, boiled a little and 

 then dried in sheets. These are bought 

 in the markets by the housewives and 

 boiled up again in fresh water. A gelat- 

 inous liquid is thus extracted, which is 

 diluted. The clean linen is dipped 

 therein, dried and ironed. 



Grateloupia affinis (Comenori) and 

 G. filicina (Mukade-nori). These plants 

 are dried, and after dipping in fresh 

 water are eaten with vinegar or soy. 

 Their use is not very general. 



The above will serve to give an idea 

 of the extent to which algae are utilized 

 by the Japanese. I add herewith the 

 export statistics for leaf laminaria, cut 

 laminaria and agar- agar for the period 



