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Star Jelly

Nostoc commune

Photo by Brian38
Published on Project Noah
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47.7134, -122.573

Field Notes

Description:

I found several patches of nostoc (a genus of cyanobacteria) in a roadside ditch.

Habitat:

Spotted in a moist roadside ditch with saturated soil.

Reference Links:

Nostoc - Wikipedia

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (6)
Brian38
Thanks for commenting dearhumi and Neil. Not a fungus, as fungus are spore-producing and feed on organic matter (Nostoc does neither although some forms can grow symbiotically within the tissues of plants). Absolutely dearhumi -- looking forward to seeing what you have found.
Neil Ross
What an amazing spotting, and what creepy stuff! So it's not fungus, is called a jelly but isn't a jelly, but is more akin to bacteria? It's the Blob!! Very cool stuff, Brian.
dearhumi
Very excited about this post - it looks very similar to a patch of jelly-like substance which we saw on the metal strut of a road bridge over the river. Do you think it could be a nostoc? I'll post a photo if you wouldn't mind have a look at it.
Brian38
Thank you Roy and Tukup for your kind comments. Tukup I need to give Machi and Zlatan credit for their spottings to know how to describe this stuff. It's not a jelly fungus even though the common name almost implies it.
Tukup
I see you have it in the "other" category. So, it's not a jelly fungus? I see the definition of cyanobacteria is "a division of microorganisms that are related to the bacteria but are capable of photosynthesis. They are prokaryotic and represent the earliest known form of life on the earth." So, after reading that, I still don't know what they are. Looks like Jelly Fungus to me.😊 Great spotting Brian.
Roy Arun
This is the first time I'm seeing Nostoc commune....great......and thanks for sharing...

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PublishedFebruary 14, 2020

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