In opposition to the relatively hard cell walls of other algae, those of the majority of red algae are flexible and soft, what is due to the co-existence of great quantities of amorphous material and relatively scarce fibrilar components. The intercellular matrix of carrageenophytes is mainly composed of highly sulphated polygalactans, with D-galactose and anhidro-D-galactose, in contrast with the less sulphated agars, where the anhydro-L-galactose is predominant. In the scope of a larger work

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... n the carrageenophytes of the Portuguese coast, chemical and spectroscopic analysis (vibrational and nuclear resonance spectroscopy) was carried out to the extracted and purified phycocolloids of these algae. As a complement of this work, the results of a cytochemical study on distribution of the main components of cell wall and intercellular matrix in the thalli are herein presented for the following carrageenophytes: Chondracanthus teedei var. lusitanicus, Gigartina pistillata, Gymnogongrus crenulatus and Ahnfeltiopsis devoniensis.