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After two uncommonly hot & humid days in Southern California (weather is usually mild and dry), I noticed these orange things growing on my soil. Wondering what those are (see 2nd and 3rd picture for close up)

enter image description here

ignore the yellow dots on the leave, those are fine :)

here are they up close. they are very fuzzy.

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enter image description here

i'm guessing some kind of fungi? I am actually clueless here...

JStorage
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gcb
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  • Whoa...interesting. My first reaction was a seed of some sort... – stormy Oct 17 '15 at 21:43
  • @stormy that was my first reaction as well. but it's only on that tiny 5x5 vase. nowhere else. what are the chances half dozen seeds fall in one little vase and not on anything else? ... but well, it may be. I've seen strangers things happen :) – gcb Oct 18 '15 at 01:30
  • btw, they are almost the same size today – gcb Oct 18 '15 at 01:31
  • Still no answers. Hummm, gcb...is it spring where you live? Do you have a Hammemelis or Hazel nut tree nearby? I am grasping for ideas here... – stormy Oct 25 '15 at 00:42
  • none of those trees. and i'm supposed to be in winter but el nino or something. having hot and muggy days. anyway, it turned out to be seeds alright. next day i decided to disturb them and yep, they have a seed inside. will post pics of the bare seed later on. why all of them fall into the single vase, i have no idea. – gcb Oct 28 '15 at 01:27

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They made me think of Robin's pincushion galls immediately - they look like galls to me, but I've no idea why they would be on the bark chips or compost in that pot - unless they've fallen from above. Was there definitely a seed inside, or do they look like the pic in this link when cut open (you'll need to scroll through the pics...)

http://thenaturalhistorian.com/2013/10/01/gall-wasps-fuzzy-orange-galls-on-pin-oak-leaves/

Giacomo Catenazzi
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Bamboo
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