A Modern Mystery or The Age Old Desire to Survive?

5 years ago Nature

By Emma Morton

Flowers have reportedly sprung from a steel pipe with no access to soil or water. Farmer Ding from China told the Sohu News, "I was cleaning the pipes, then my hand touched something fluffy."

The stems are slimmer than human hair, and have little white flowers on top. There is speculation amongst local people that these flowers are the legendary Youtan Poluo flower, which blossoms only once every 3,000 years. Although many believe that the Youtan Poluo flower is just a metaphor for how rare it is to encounter a Buddha.

On closer inspection of these ‘flowers’, there is a remarkable resemblance to lacewing insect eggs. Lacewings lay their eggs on threadlike stalks to prevent cannibalism amongst the newly hatched larvae.

Only time will decide which theory is correct, but Ding is certain that the flowers have brought him luck.

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Comments

Old Comments

quickthinker says

Sep 24th, 2007 at 12am
I'm no botanist, but I truthfully think flowers that can't grow instantaneously after that long a period.

rek says

Aug 11th, 2007 at 12am
A flower could not bloom every 3,000 years. In fact, the blurry "flowers" in the photo are just Lacewing eggs... http://www.myrmecos.net/insects/Eggs1.html

rek says

Aug 11th, 2007 at 12am
A flower could never exist by blooming every 3,000 years. Thats fortune cookie shit... They are Lacewing eggs... http://www.myrmecos.net/insects/Eggs1.html

hsjona says

Aug 11th, 2007 at 12am
i have them on my window.