On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:22:36 +0100, Sidney
wrote:

On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:57:37 +1000, "Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow
wrote:

"Ade" wrote in message
A very weird appearance on the soil in some pots. Very large blobs
of clear
jelly just sitting on the surface of the soil. Definitely not water
retaining gel.

Are you sure it couldn't be water retaining gel? I've had the same
thing you have described happen in a pot in which there has been a
rose which has been there for some years. The gel only appeared a
couple of years after the rose went in and after a period of extended
heavy rain. The gel seemed to heave up out of the soil.


Another great evolutionary leap for slime moulds?


there are two rather common examples of " gelatinous blobs "
that when seen , one could instantly think of " alien blobs "
( because they are rather alien looking ) that come to mind
with what you speak about.

these are both freshwater bryozoans ( which sometimes
pop up in many different places where freshwater is used )
...... and frog and salamander egg masses, whcih
can be similar looking . I live on the west coast
and commonly find both kinds of " blobs " in my outdoors garden
areas. common freshwater sponges and jellyfish also
( less frequently ) come to mind as well. they could easily end
up in a potted plant medium . ( they do here anyway ) .

" Some species of freshwater bryozoans have been introduced into
lakes and rivers where they do not naturally occur. I haven't been
able to find out if the Black River bryozoans are native or
introduced. In any event, they are there and they are blobs, however
some other blob-like things are out there too. Frog and salamander egg
masses can be similar looking. I don't know if there are freshwater
sponges in the Chehalis system, but they can resemble bryozoans. There
may be blobs out there that we really don't want to know so
intimately. My advice is to examine blobs carefully. "

http://www.crcwater.org/fish/19980913blobs.html

http://www.westol.com/~towhee/reptiles.htm

type " common freshwater bryozoans " and

" pictures of Frog and salamander egg masses "
into Google for more info to compare against.

myself .... I'm quite old but find myself constantly
surprised by what I " still " find in nature ....

LOTS stuff you have NEVER seen or heard of before
abounds al around you !!



k............