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Alien and exotic Azolla
in northern Iran
Babak Delnavaz Hashemloian¹* and Azra Ataei Azimi²
1Investigations
Department, Islamic Azad University of Saveh, Saveh, Iran.
2Biology
Department, Islamic Azad University of Saveh, Saveh, Iran.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
Delnavaz@iau-saveh.ac.ir. Fax: 098255 2240111.
Accepted
18 August, 2008 |
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Azolla filiculoides
a planktonic fern found floating on the surface of wetlands,
ponds and rivers. Because of its ability to fix nitrogen
through symbiotic cyanobacteria, it causes more rice
production in paddy fields and is used as a green
fertilizer. A. filiculoides was introduced from
Philippine as a green fertilizer for rice crop to Iran,
at 1986. The climatic condition of paddy
fields, ponds and rivers of north of Iran was the best
habitats for its regeneration and growth. Azolla has
been distributed and has grown very fast in three Northern
provinces of Iran, over 20 years. Now, this useful exotic
plant, is a harmful weed in waters of the northern region of
Iran because its fast regeneration, fast growth and high
distribution.
Key
word:
Azolla filiculoides,
cyanobacteria, exotic plant, mosquito fern. |
