Abstract
Azolla is an aquatic pteridophyte that forms a permanent, hereditary symbiosis with a nitrogen fixing, heterocyst-forrming cyanobacterium, Anabaena azollae. The Azolla-A. azollae symbiosis is the only known mutualistic symbiosis between a pteridophyte and a diazotrophic prokaryote. This association has gained attention in recent decades because of its potential use as an alternative to chemical nitrogen fertilisers and as feed for animals. In this paper, we present an overview of the morphology of the two partners, their life cycle, taxonomy, biogeography and interactions and the practical uses of the symbiosis. More extensive reviews have appeared elsewhere (see Lumpkin and Plucknett 1982; van Hove 1989; Braun-Howland and Nierzwicki-Bauer 1990; Lejeune et al. 1999).
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