This is a weird one.
Something shiny was in top of the flowers of some Juncus tennuis, Path Rush, so I picked one, expecting to find a gall or some insect eggs. But it was slimy! After wiping off my finger on my pants leg, I took these photos. What do you think this is?
Update: The Virginia Herpetological Society assured me these are not native amphibian eggs.
I guess I’m going to have to keep checking them every other day to see what emerges!
#abominableMystery #invertebrates #eggs
Update: Mystery solved, and it’s quite embarrassing.
First of all, here’s a mature fruit of Path Rush, Juncus tenuis.
1/3
Yup. It’s really is a fruit, and what you find inside a fruit is seeds.
If you’ve ever sprouted seeds, you have probably noticed how some seed coats have a mucilaginous outer layer that makes them tend to clump together in early days, which is probably beneficial for the tiny baby plants.
Well, duh. At least the #abominableMystery is solved. 3/3 #NativePlants #juncus #rushes
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