Walking on Water Plants
The light was lousy, but I thought this was so interesting with the song sparrow hopping along and feeding on these floating plants. The pond wasn't frozen and the carpet of plants sometimes very gently undulated up and down, which made me think of a magic carpet.
I believe the plant is a species of water fern. The red color, as explained by UC Weed Science: Azolla is initially green, like duckweed, but soon turns a red or brown color. This coloration is caused by Azolla’s association with a nitrogen-fixing cyanobactrium. In this symbiotic relationship, the bacterium gets a safe home while Azolla is provided with nitrogen.
As usual, Siskiyou County, California
Walking on Water Plants
The light was lousy, but I thought this was so interesting with the song sparrow hopping along and feeding on these floating plants. The pond wasn't frozen and the carpet of plants sometimes very gently undulated up and down, which made me think of a magic carpet.
I believe the plant is a species of water fern. The red color, as explained by UC Weed Science: Azolla is initially green, like duckweed, but soon turns a red or brown color. This coloration is caused by Azolla’s association with a nitrogen-fixing cyanobactrium. In this symbiotic relationship, the bacterium gets a safe home while Azolla is provided with nitrogen.
As usual, Siskiyou County, California