Nostoc

1 9.9

A type of blue-green algae that forms jelly-like colonies in ponds and damp places

noun

Specialized

: Nostoc

Orange mats are present in the main channel (approximately 1 m across), and black (Nostoc) mats grow as tufts near the edges of the main channel.
Nostoc mats
black Nostoc

Examples

The bulk of the thallus consists of filamentous chains of the blue-green alga Nostoc, whose thick sheaths compose the structural matrix of the thallus.

Academic text (2001)
The freshwater algae known as Nostoc can often be seen growing in clusters on damp soil.
Orange mats are present in the main channel (approximately 1 m across), and black (Nostoc) mats grow as tufts near the edges of the main channel.
The bulk of the thallus consists of filamentous chains of the blue-green alga Nostoc, whose thick sheaths compose the structural matrix of the thallus.

Surface Forms

Nostoc singular

Nostocs plural

Etymology

The word Nostoc is the scientific name for a jelly-like blue-green algae. A helpful way to remember it is that the name may come from a Greek root nost- meaning 'return', because these colonies can dry out and later 'come back' to life, so the name fits their ability to survive and regrow.