It’s not an alien that fell from the sky but a harmless cyanobacteria. With the succession of rainy episodes, nostoc, as it is called, proliferates everywhere along roadsides or in gardens. In the Jura, this strange living organism arouses the curiosity of Internet users.
“It’s weird, it’s slimy, it’s alive but it’s not bad at all,” smiles Gilles Poirel of the Natural History Society of Jura. And yet, this funny green and viscous thing has surprised more than one in recent days in Franche-Comté. On social networks, many Jura residents share their photos of the “monster” which has landed everywhere in their yards, their lawns or their vegetable gardens. And in the comments, some do not hide their disgust or their concern in the face of the intruder, as in the Facebook group “I love my Jura”.
A mysterious invader, as if falling from the sky, who is not at all unknown. The ancients knew it well and called it “moon spit”. Specialists call it nostoc. A strange name that it owes to Paracelsus, the famous Swiss philosopher of the Renaissance, who is said to have created it from Old English Nosthryl (nostril) and the corresponding Germanic word Nasenloch (nostoch).
Neither algae, nor fungus, nor lichen, the nostoc naturally piques curiosity. “It is a species that is part of the large group of cyanobacteria, explains Gilles Poirel to France 3 Franche-Comté. VSThey are organisms capable of photosynthesis which manage to produce organic matter and which also fix nitrogen. Single-celled microorganisms that can form real mats, nodules or balls that can reach several centimeters in certain regions of the globe.
And looking more closely, under the microscope, we discover chains of individuals without a nucleus, as we can see in the photo published on its Facebook page by the Natural History Society of Jura and Friends of Nature.
Nostoc was there before man. And it would have helped produce the oxygen necessary for life on Earth. It belongs to the pioneer species who can survive in poor and basic environments.
They can be found in the desert or in polar areas. It can live in a dehydrated state for months. In arid areas, there can be very large areas. And they help stabilize the soil.
Gilles Poirel, Natural History Society of Jura and Friends of Nature.
Nothing to be afraid of. “It’s not monstrous and there’s nothing parasitic about itreassures Gilles Poirel. You can remove it by hand if it’s on a salad. But it’s better not to eat it because it can become toxic.” Almost a joke as the nostoc is unappetizing!
No algae, no fungus, no lichen.
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© Jura Natural History Society
In any case, the phenomenon is not surprising given the heavy precipitation that has fallen in recent weeks. THE nostoc is in fact known for its ability to rehydrate very quickly, by quickly restarting its metabolism, in the hours following rain or contact with liquid water.
“It’s true that we’re seeing quite a few this year, recognizes Gilles Poirel. This is even the first year I’ve seen so many. A few days ago I found large quantities of them by the side of the road. It’s true that it’s funny to see him appear like that all of a sudden. But it’s not an invasion!” And rest assured, the nostoc will become very discreet again as soon as the sun returns for several days.
