An Australian homeowner is stumped by what appears to be a “serial number” etched onto a leaf of one of their indoor plants.
The concerned plant owner posted a photo on social media, asking why a “weird pattern” had suddenly appeared on her monstera plant.
“I’ve just been away for a week and came back to a new monstera leaf that’s opened with this weird pattern,” they wrote.
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“No other leaves have it. Does anyone know what this could be from?”
Other plant owners began sharing similar experiences of strange “numbers” appearing on leaves — along with some even stranger theories as to why.
Theories ranged from plant nursery barcodes to focused reflective sunburns, and even children pushing their nails into the leaves.
“Have you got a clock nearby? The sun could be reflecting (off an object) and burning the leaf as the sun moves,” one person suggested.
Other, more outrageous, theories ranged from a glitch in the matrix to aliens, and even one person saying the plant may be offering the winning Powerball numbers.
“Your plant’s telling you to buy a lotto ticket!” one hopeful person said.
University of Queensland entomologist and author Dr Jessa Thurman said the answer may be more simple than many people think.
“The most likely answer is a caterpillar or leaf beetle consuming part of the leaf while it is still unfurling,” Thurman told 7NEWS.com.au.
“This would explain the uniform spacing of the marks, and the similar curves from where the insect was feeding.”
While insects enjoying a bite to eat may be the most likely reason, Thurman says there are other possibilities.
“Uniform markings like this can arise when a leaf is damaged at any point in its growth before it unfurls,” Thurman said.
“So if the plant was tied or damaged in some way, that can be reflected in what looks like writing once the leaf unfurls.”