Fixation of Nitrogen in Coriaria myrtifolia

Abstract

A PRELIMINARY examination has been made of the European species (C. myrtifolia L.) of the non-legume genus Coriaria to determine whether fixation of atmospheric nitrogen is associated with the root nodules normally present¹, as previously demonstrated for species from other continents^2–6. Dr. P. Montserrat kindly provided me with seed of C. myrtifolia and with a small quantity of soil collected from near plants of that species growing in the region of Barcelona. In April 1959 seed of C. myrtifolia and also of C. japonica (the latter kindly provided by Prof. R. Good) was sown thickly in the soil mentioned. After some four months it was noted that certain of the C. myrtifolia plants were growing more strongly than the others, and examination of the roots revealed that these plants (numbering 6 out of the total of 53) bore nodules; the small proportion nodulating is possibly a reflexion on the prevalence of the endophyte in the soil. None of the 31 plants of C. japonica developed nodules, suggesting that endophyte specialization has occurred between Coriaria species from different geographical regions.