Acetylene-reducing activity of detached root nodules ofMyrica faya ait

A first report is made on the occurrence of root nodules inMyrica faya. By means of a long-term growth experiment and the use of the acetylene reduction technique it is shown that the nodules ofMyrica faya fix atmospheric nitrogen in sufficient amount to permit vigorous growth of the plant in a rooting medium free of combined nitrogen. The lobes of the nodule clusters produce roots which display upward growth. An examination under the light and electron microscopes of the root nodules formed shows a concentric ring of cells within the nodule cortex infected with a filamentous endophyte similar to that described for other Myrica species.