Mysterious Chinese seeds.

[Kryton]

So I thought very little of this when I first read the article about British gardeners in the UK receiving mysterious Chinese seeds marked as ear studs/petals.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/hundreds-brit-gardeners-warned-not-22375647

Many of the gardeners were baffled after they received the unwanted deliveries, which were not paid for, which were marked as "petals" or "ear studs".

It was claimed this could have been done in order to avoid custom checks.

Government officials said they had been made aware of the bizarre case and it is understood at least one police force has been notified.

Gardeners are warned not to plant the seeds if they received them in case they are an invasive non-native specie

Just one of those things I thought. Maybe Ebay have fucked up and some batch was sent out to targeted gardeners or something.

But I've just read this.

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nation-world/national/article244479272.html

A strange package has been sent to people in multiple states: random, unidentified seeds from China.

Residents in Washington, Utah and Virginia have received small packages of seeds in the mail that appear to be sent from China, officials said.

"Today we received reports of people receiving seeds in the mail from China that they did not order," the Washington State Department of Agriculture said Friday. "The seeds are sent in packages usually stating that the contents are jewelry. Unsolicited seeds could be invasive, introduce diseases to local plants, or be harmful to livestock."

Is this just some bizarre fuck up? Or some new cold-war stratagem to say introduce a wild-species into our fertile lands? Or just much ado about nothing?

https://theprepared.com/blog/mysterious-seeds-in-the-mail/

http://newsmobile.in/articles/2020/07/25/after-uk-mystery-seeds-from-china-land-up-in-us-mailboxes/

"Right now, we are uncertain what types of seeds are in the package. Out of caution, we are urging anyone who receives a package that was not ordered by the recipient, to please call the LDAF immediately," Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M, was quoted by local media as saying.

I say we plant one and find out.

[Dex Sawash]

My wife would pee herself  if she got seeds in the mail

[Ray Travez]

I got some of these. They were labelled as tomato seeds, and the package had originated in Singapore. My wife was disturbed by it. Weird thing is, I changed my name four years ago, and since then I've moved house three times, but they arrived at my new address with my former name on the envelope.

[Kryton]

I got some of these. They were labelled as tomato seeds, and the package had originated in Singapore. My wife was disturbed by it. Weird thing is, I changed my name four years ago, and since then I've moved house three times, but they arrived at my new address with my former name on the envelope.

Really? That's fucking amazing. I dare you to plant one. (In a controlled environment of course that adheres to local ecological standards) - Like a plant pot.

You got any pics?

[Buelligan]

Can you post a photo Ray?  The seeds in the article look to me like castor oil beans (the seeds of Ricinus communis) and you know what you can produce with them.  But there's no caption on the photos, so it's probably a bit of horticultural scaremongering on the part of the Daily Star.  I'd like to see yours.

[Rainbow Moses]

I'm sure someone will be along to tell us that the US and UK make just as many unwanted deliveries of random, unidentified seeds.

[Kryton]

Can you post a photo Ray?  The seeds in the article look to me like castor oil beans (the seeds of Ricinus communis) and you know what you can produce with them.  But there's no caption on the photos, so it's probably a bit of horticultural scaremongering on the part of the Daily Star.  I'd like to see yours.

There's several pictures with several different seeds I think. In the other links perhaps? Not sure if they're stock images or actual images of the mysterious seeds.

[Buelligan]

Yeah, I need to see a photo of the real ones.  Btw, Ray, you didn't sell any cows lately, did you?

[Johnny Yesno]

Can you post a photo Ray?  The seeds in the article look to me like castor oil beans (the seeds of Ricinus communis) and you know what you can produce with them.  But there's no caption on the photos, so it's probably a bit of horticultural scaremongering on the part of the Daily Star.  I'd like to see yours.

They look more like stallard beans to me.



Whatever, it's just a stock photo in the article anyway.

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/close-up-of-woman-holding-seed-royalty-free-image/1128962503

[Kryton]

Are these stock photos? Genuine question, these are the ones linked in the newsmobile site.

[Buelligan]

Dunno.  The top ones are pretty citrussy, though they could be cardamoms I suppose, difficult to tell without scale.  The second lot look like Cerinthe major seeds.  Can't really see the others.

[Pijlstaart]

Most seeds are mysteries nowadays. All the top-selling seeds are seed mixes, no idea what's in them, but you know whatever is in them, they'll always be low-value seeds. Ah, not fucking yellow rattle again! Ah, you fuck! If they wished to infiltrate us with their cunning seed they'd just do it the way the big seed companies have been doing for ages, easy.

This is something else. Inscrutable, twinkle-eyed mischief, fantastical even. Sounds like the beginning of a story. Beanstalk, Wishing Tree, Devil's Lettuce, Dragon, hold on to your hats because whatever hatches, we'll be looking down the barrel of a story! This is particularly evocative to me of the chinese characters in Rupert You're a Wonderful Bear, namely Pong Ping, Tigerlily and the Chinese Conjurer. While the characters all incorporated racist stereotypes, being enigmatic and possessed of an unknowable power, they are benevolent and ultimately have Rupert's best interests at heart. The fantastical elements of Nutwood consistently serve to stimulate and enrich Rupert's life, and it is not his immutable characteristics but his lived experience that elevates him to Wonderful Beardom, and that is why I welcome the changes that are to come.

[Johnny Yesno]

Are these stock photos? Genuine question, these are the ones linked in the newsmobile site.

Probably not. I meant the one in the Star article is a stock photo.

I reckon the above are pistachio nuts, chocolate chips and peanuts respectively. Just tuck in, you sinophobes.

[ProvanFan]

Weird thing is, I changed my name four years ago, and since then I've moved house three times, but they arrived at my new address with my former name on the envelope.

Directed by Michael Haneke

[Pink Gregory]

succulent chinese seeds

[Buelligan]

Perfect.

[GMTV]

Plant them in your garden and within a few years your 5G reception will be the envy of the neighbourhood.

[non capisco]

succulent chinese seeds

Haha!

And what is the charge? Planting a seed? A mysterious Chinese seed?

I'm under what?!

[Helvetica Scenario]

Fucking triffids, obviously.

[BlodwynPig]

Just sequence their RNA - should take about 6 hours to find out what they are, or what they are closely related to. Problem solved, no need to plant and discover the Colour Out of Space has arrived.

[Bazooka]

Bloody Chinese seeds coming over here, stealing our British soil nutrients.

[Marner and Me]

Grow it, eat it, post results.

[idunnosomename]

Audrey II

[jenna appleseed]

Snopes thinks the mysterious seed parcels are real but nobody knows why
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/china-seed-mailings/

"What's True
Numerous residents in the U.S. (and UK) have reported receiving unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail with return addresses indicating they were sent from China.

What's Undetermined
The precise motive behind these mailings, and whether or not it is a malicious one, is not yet known."

but it could be an amazon/other internet sites are available  reviews scam

"Less certain is the purpose behind the mailings. Explanations from drug smuggling to attempts to trick Americans into planting harmful invasive species have been mooted, although a somewhat different motive has also been suggested: "Better Business Bureau's Jane Rupp has another theory. She thinks it could simply be a scam relating to customer reviews, in which companies post low-cost items so they can write fake reviews for their business in a resident's name." "

[Rev+]

Yeah, it does sound like 'brushing' - the reviews scam thing.  That's been going on for a while, but not specifically with seeds.  The other half regularly gets unsolicited kitchenware and art supplies having bought a spatula and a paintbrush off of ebay a year or so ago.

[BlodwynPig]

Apparently it was

Spoiler alert

nothing

[close]

[Twonty Gostelow]

Mysterious Chinese Seeds would make a good title for a bad Marillion album.

[Blumf]

Something, something... Nick Cave ... something.

[Harry Badger]

Yeah, it does sound like 'brushing' - the reviews scam thing.  That's been going on for a while, but not specifically with seeds.  The other half regularly gets unsolicited kitchenware and art supplies having bought a spatula and a paintbrush off of ebay a year or so ago.

This happened to me recently. One of the items sent to me was a webcam which I stupidly returned, not realising there was a shortage. Now I need one for work.

[Buelligan]

Explanations from drug smuggling to attempts to trick Americans into planting harmful invasive species have been mooted...

If they want to destroy the US or even the entire world, why not trick the Americans into voting in a thoroughly evil degenerate unhinged liar as President?  It would seem simpler.  But nobody's that stupid.  That's where that plan falls flat.