Friday, October 24, 2014

Lemon Threads

As you walk towards this spot, the footpath appears to be covered in a pale yellow substance:
There are drifts of it on the road:
And cars parked nearby have quite a sprinkling of the thread-like substance:

Can you tell what it is?

Here's the source - a street tree in flower. It is a melaleuca of some variety:
The stamens are dropping from each flower once it is fertilised, coating everything in the tiny threads. By day the tree hums with bees, and last night I discovered that it attracts bogong moths after dark. It's an insect feast around the clock!

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