ABSTRACT
Azolla species are associated with a filamentous bacterium in a symbiotic relationship. This bacterium is widely identified as Anabaena azollae Strasb., a member of an important group of photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria. Azolla, with about six or seven species, is the only genus in the family Azollaceae. It is sometimes combined with the genus Salvinia in the family Salviniaceae. Azolla species are most important as a “green manure” or “biofertilizer,” especially in Southeast Asia and in other rice-producing regions of the world. Azolla ferns are extremely important for generating human food, as biofertilizers for increasing crop production, and as feed for production of meat, poultry, and fish. The adventurous cook can experiment with utilization of azolla ferns in the same way that alfalfa sprouts and other sprouts are used. A thick carpet of Azolla reduces the ability of the mosquito larvae to reach the surface to breathe.
