Stats

Lifespan

Years dormant

Size

Small

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

Worldwide

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Defense

Toxins

Status

Uncommon

About

Nostoc commune is a cyanobacterium that forms rubbery, dark-green gelatinous mats on soil, rocks, and pavement worldwide. When dry it shrivels to a near-invisible papery crust, but can fully rehydrate and resume photosynthesis within minutes of rain — surviving decades of desiccation.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   juvenile

   A clearly-young animal, past the newborn phase but well short of full adult size.
2. 2.
   adult

   Fully grown.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →
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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Bacteria

Phylum

Cyanobacteria

Class

Cyanophyceae

Order

Nostocales

Family

Nostocaceae

Genus

Nostoc

Species

Nostoc commune