Forage Friday #85 Nostoc (Cyanobacteria)

Warning: Some types of Cyanobacteria are considered toxic by some sources.

Please remember that Forage Friday is presented as trivia and not to be mistaken for medical advice.

The rails stretch out eastward drawing my lens towards the quiet tipple in the distance. It’s one of my favorite scenes and I occasionally stop by to enjoy it. However, on this trip something caught my eye that wasn’t quite so picturesque. The lumps of green goo look like something that escaped from a B grade science fiction movie.

But what we’re looking at isn’t something from the nightmares of Irvine Millgate. Instead it’s right out of nightmares of an 8th grade student in a biology class. In my day it was called Blue-green alga but it’s not an alga. It’s Cyanobacteria but not bacteria. You’ll find it listed as “Nostoc” or a variation there of.

But why did I include this green goo in Forage Friday? Well for one thing it’s listed as being edible. Nostoc commune is pretty much found worldwide and is eaten as a salad, stir fry and stew in Asia. Personally I can’t get past the looks of it. I suppose that if I was desperate for nutrition that I could but I’ve never been that hungry. There’s also the fact that I’m not 100% positive about the ID of this colony. It appears to be Nostoc commune but I’m not sure yet. There is also a question about purity. While it’s obvious that anything growing in an industrial area could be contaminated with industrial chemicals Nostoc is known to assimilate lichens. And while the Nostoc itself is non-toxic some of the lichens are. Now if I really wanted to give it a try I could try to find an Asian market and ask for “Fat-Choy”.

Believe it or not I used to see it powder and capsule form as Walmart as a vitamin.

Medically it was used as an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and cancer treatment.

The last market where Nostoc comes into it’s own as a living fertilizer. It doesn’t really poison your plants and it’s a nitrogen fixing lifeform.

That’s it for tonight friends. Be blessed throughout your days.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.