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19-09-2003, 03:22 AM

In article ,
[Iris Cohen] wrote...

Yes, the so-called "blue green algae" are really photosynthetic bacteria!!!

But even the eukaryotic "algae" aren't a single group of
related organisms.

Do you happen to know why one of them lives inside Ficus carica? It supposedly
fixes extra nitrogen, & in the process makes the tree smell like you forgot to
clean the cat's litter pan.

I've not heard of this. Are you sure?

Where inside the plant are the blue-greens supposed
to live?

Cyanobacteria do live symbiotically in various plants [e.g.,
in some water ferns (_Azolla_ spp.), in cycad "coralloid roots",
inside the stems of _Gunnera_] and do fix nitrogen, but I've never
heard of any such role in Ficus spp.. A web search and a try with
Biological Abstracts both just turned up nothing.

_Ficus carica_ foliage is often noticeably aromatic, either fresh
or dried, but I've never noticed the smell to be at all offensive
the way you describe. Perhaps some cats have been doing their
business around the fig tree?

cheers