Re: Mystery Clear Gel: slime mold or what? (Glenn Johnson)
Glenn Johnson
Thanks for getting back to me. There are a few cherry trees (a domestic and some wild prunus spp) on the site, but not within 50 meters of where the gel was found. There are ash and cottonwood trees as well, but again not directly above where the cars are parked. The material has not been found under trees--always out in the open (and not associated with times when wind has gusted which might have blown it far rom the trees).
The substance is a bit more like Jello that hasn't quite set, as opposed to loose bits of material that hold together well. Gooey, and a mess when you apply windshield wipers to it, yet not at all resinous.
Thanks, Glenn
--- On Mon, 11/24/08, J & J <al...@netrover.com> wrote:
From: J & J <al...@netrover.com>
Subject: Mystery Clear Gel: slime mold or what? (Glenn Johnson)
To: "Glenn Johnson" <gle...@yahoo.com>
Cc: myco...@net.bio.net
Date: Monday, November 24, 2008, 10:47 AM
Do you have cherry trees on your property? Infected cherry sap can have
a gelatinous consistency, surprisingly similar to jelly fungi, and we find
it in fallen lumps like that.
cheers,
Juliet
1. Mystery Clear Gel: slime mold or what? (Glenn Johnson)
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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:38:54 -0800 (PST)
From: Glenn Johnson
<gle...@yahoo.com>
Subject: [Mycology] Mystery Clear Gel: slime mold or what?
To:
"le...@mushroomthejournal.com"
<le...@mushroomthejournal.com>
Cc:
myco...@magpie.bio.indiana.edu
Message-ID:
<746538....@web39706.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Dear Leon and/or Lorelie,
I found your email addresses through the Mushroom Journal and some googling,
and thought you may be able to help us. My family currently lives east of
Springfield, Oregon near the small towns of Jasper, McKenzie, and Dexter
(all on the west side of the Cascade Mountains). For years we've been occasionally
finding a mysterious clear, gel-like substance, mostly on our windshields
but on roads or the ground as well. It has no smell, no taste(!), and domestic
animals are not interested in it. It has appeared quite suddenly (within
15 minutes of a cars return to the house, for example), usually after or
during rains. Observed samples vary widely in size, but usually about a 1/4
cup which may be in one lump or spread out in quarter-sized bits. We dried
a sample once and it shrinks to a rubber-like consistency--yet re-constitutes
back to original gel when added to water.
Have you heard of anything like this before? We have no idea what it is,
and are curious if it might be some sort of slime mold....(though one mycologist
we asked was stumped..). Whatever it is, if you can help identify it we
would very much appreciate it.
If you'd like we can send a picture and/or a sample.
Thank you, Glenn Johnson
Glenn Johnson MS Graduate Assistant
School of Natural Resources
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85719
gle...@yahoo.com
gle...@email.arizona.edu
sunita...@gmail.com
Thanks, Sunita