Mystery of Nature (1 Viewer)

[kostas3]

My wife and I have just returned from a most enjoyable holiday in the Western Algarve region of Portugal, we stayed in Pria da Luz.

During our stay we visited Pria da Ingrina near Sagres (in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina) and while exploring the right hand side of the bay, we noticed, among the rocks and rough ground at various points’ on the ground, piles of a white substance that always seemed to be piled upon or near a plant. The white substance consisted of cylinders about 2 mm dia. and about 5mm long.

If you touched them they fall off the plant and if gently squeezed break up into small balls of a solid white crystalline substance.

I attach a photograph of a typical pile of the substance and a blow up of it. If you require any further information please ask.

I must stress that the material appeared to be a mineral rather than a vegetable or fungus

I wondered if it was the excretion from some animal, bird, or insect?

There where many ants on the ground but none seemed to be directly associated with the white material.

If you know what it is or where I can find the answer I would be most interested.


I look forward to hearing from you

 

[JMomOhio]

Sorry, no clue what that is, but I'm just as curious as you now! LOL! It almost looks like packing material! I sure hope someone comes along that can identify this substance!

Julie

 

[delia todd]

Hi kostas I see this is your first post, so may I welcome you on behalf of the Staff and Moderators at Bird Forum

I'm sorry I can't help either, but am sure there will be someone

D

 

[rozinante]

Pure guesswork on my part but from your description it sounds like the plants could be exuding a mineral rich sap. The droplets of sap evaporate leaving a mineral deposit. These build up to the cylinders you describe then fall or are knocked of the plant. Looks like a sandy area, could it be salt or silica? The quantity is rather suprising though!

I will wait for someone who knows what they are talking about to correct me.

 

[rozinante]

Don't know if you're still about kostas3, but if you are can you tell us what the plant was, or a description perhaps?

I for one am intrigued.