A baffled homeowner was left baffled after mysterious ‘jellyfish’-like blobs appeared under a tree in their backyard.
The homeowner found the jelly-like sacs on the grass in the garden of their apartment building in Sydney.
Photos shared on Reddit this week showed a number of clear, sticky sacs on the grass under a flame tree.
The perplexed local captioned the footage with a question, asking social media users why their ‘tree is dropping jellyfish’.
Some joked that the strange substance was “tree snot,” while others claimed it was “melted bananas.”
The baffled homeowner stumbled upon the jellyfish-like blobs while in the garden of his Sydney apartment building
The strange gel substance was produced by the seed pods of the Illawarra Flame Tree (pictured) and is a protective mechanism that keeps the tree from being damaged or attacked by pests
However, Professor Brett Summerell, chief education and conservation scientist at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, explained there was a simple reason behind the strange discharge.
Professor Summerell said the dust forms after particularly wet and humid weather.
“This happens to Illawarra Flame Trees and Kurrajongs (both Brachychiton species) in years when the weather is warm and humid and there has been a lot of rain,” Professor Summerell said. Yahoo News.
‘The trees produce the gel from the seed pods and from wounds on the branches and trunk.
‘It is a protection mechanism and a way to ensure that the tree is not damaged or attacked by pests.’
The juicy mixture is quite corrosive and can cause damage if left on an unfortunately parked car.
Like Jacarandas, Flame trees can bloom on bare branches, but only occasionally – every five years
Professor Summerell added that in drier years the tree species produces only a small amount of the substance to help minimize water loss.
Like Jacarandas, flame trees can bloom on bare branches, but only occasionally – every five years.
At this time of year, most trees have claw-shaped leaves and seed pods when they bloom.
Australia is known for its unique flora and fauna and is home to more than a million different species of flora and fauna.
About 93 percent of Australia’s flora and fauna are found nowhere else in the world.