Nostoc Commune

Nostoc commune is a species of cyanobacterium in the family Nostocaceae and is the type species of the genus Nostoc. It has a cosmopolitan distribution and is known by the common names star jelly, witchs butter, and mares eggs. The organism forms colonies that begin as small, hollow, gelatinous globules and grow into leathery, flattened, convoluted masses built from unbranched, hair-like trichomes of short bacterial cells. When hydrated it appears bluish green, olive green, or brown, and it dries into an inconspicuous brownish mat. Nostoc commune grows in a wide range of environments worldwide, including polar regions and arid areas, forming loose clumps on soil, gravel, paved surfaces, and among mosses; in Singapore it is found on alkaline soils, in brackish water, on paddy fields, cliffs, and wet rocks. It can fix atmospheric nitrogen and photosynthesize, letting it survive on nutrient-poor substrates.