Designer Duckweed

[BigDaddy]

Hey rockgarden:

Matt figured out what your mystery plant was!

Azolla caroliniana - Carolina Fairy Moss or Carolina Mosquito Fern

It's native to Florida, but is also found in Ontario and BC

Thanks Matt!

[BigDaddy]

Cool!

I just read that this fern lives in a symbiotic relationship with BGA (blue green algae).

BGA can fix atmospheric nitrogen... which the fern can then use

So that's why your floating plant was multi coloured... differing amounts/types of BGA on the plant.

[rockgarden]

For those who might want some

Azolla caroliniana - Carolina Fairy Moss or Carolina Mosquito Fern - http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/azocar1.jpg

please send me a pm and I'll try to remember to bring some back to the next OVAS meeting.

BTW Thanks for your efforts Matt. I thought that it was an azolla at first but the picture of azolla caroliniana in the Encyclopedia of Water Plants threw me of that trail.

Ron

[luvfishies]

Oh my, I want some of this!

Care to ship? Of course, I'd pay!

[mseguin]

I came across it by accident, just browsing a boook while eating lunch.

[Mettle]

I came across it by accident, just browsing a boook while eating lunch.

Geek.  :lol:

[mseguin]

So I've been told :-)

[rockgarden]

Luvfishies: If you seriously want some, I will put some in the regular mail (in a plastic lunch bag in an envelope with no water, of course) and send it to you. I'm sure it will survive he trip.

PM your mailing address.

You can owe me 50 cents plus tax for the postage.  I'll absorb the cost of the lunch bag and the envelope  

Ron