(Rhodymenia palmata), red seaweed found along both coasts of the North Atlantic. When fresh, it has the texture of thin rubber; both the amount of branching and size (ranging from 12 to about 40 cm 【5 to 16 inches】) vary. Growing on rocks, mollusks, or larger seaweeds, dulse attaches by means of disks or rhizoids. Dulse, fresh or dried, is eaten with fish and butter, boiled with milk and rye flour, or as a relish. The gelatinous substance contained in dulse is a thickening agent; the alga imparts a reddish colour to the food with which it is mixed.