Yesterday morning this unusual (at least to us) substance was found on our front lawn in Southwestern Ontario. It was still there this morning and appeared unchanged. It is greenish-black in color and appears to be both transparent and opaque in places. It does not have a significant smell and is slippery (it was found when someone slipped in it). When we first saw it we dubbed it "Martian poo" . The "patches" range from quarter-size to dinner plate size and do not appear to be connected. In the photograph the shiny things are a Canadian quarter and a Canadian nickel. Does anybody have any idea what this is, whether or not it is hazardous (we have animals and young children on our farm), and what can be done about it?
Hi there, It looks like Nostoc, an alga. Interesting stuff - I'm more familiar with it as part of lichen, but I know it also comes in big colonies like this. cheers, frog
Thank you for your help. Nostoc looks like a likely possibility considering it showed up following a rain storm.
