this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2024

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310

Lemmy, what did i get in the mail? (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

92 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Weird story, so about 9 years ago we sold our house to a family member, who rented it out. Those renters reached out to them and said that we got a package. We still live in the area so I went and got it from them.

We have no idea what this is, or who sent it. When I search that sku I can't find much except an article about how Americans are getting sent seeds from China, the return address is from Equatorial Guinea. But even if they are seeds, what are they? Also why?

What you got Lemmy? Maybe put a sarcasm tag on your response if you have a humorous thought. But I really want to know. Google lens thinks they are bugs.

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[–] [email protected] 327 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

Yep, those are seeds.

Why you got them? The leading theory from a few years ago was sellers getting fake positive reviews on their products by creating alternate accounts, "buying" the product and to fulfill the shipping status just sending some random leaked address a bag of the lightest, most cheap product they could send, just so platforms like AliExpress had an actual transaction completed allowing the review to be posted.

Do not plant foreign seeds or discard them incorrectly. You have no idea what that species is, and you do not want to be the one introducing a new invasive species to your local biome.

[–] [email protected] 141 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Do not plant foreign seeds or discard them incorrectly. You have no idea what that species is, and you do not want to be the one introducing a new invasive species to your local biome

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I've been meaning to rewatch this for a while now. Does it still hold up well?

[–] [email protected] 27 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Fucking awesome. and a while back they finally put out a directors cut with the original ending that, for the longest time, you could only see in shit quality on youtube. Just saw that version a few weeks ago actually.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (5 children)

The image isn’t loading for me. What movie/show?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago

Little Shop of Horrors

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 8 months ago

For the curious, here's a really nice podcast episode on the subject: https://underunderstood.com/podcast/episode/closing-the-loop-on-chinas-mystery-seeds/

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

Yeah, burn it.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

Cooking them relatively briefly would probably take care of it.

[–] [email protected] 119 points 8 months ago (2 children)

The label is in Chinese (simplified characters common in China) and translates as “100 rainbow chrysanthemum seeds”. I have no idea whether the contents are what the label claims.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, but that's the boring answer.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago

It's just code for "dark matter from Temu"

[–] [email protected] 17 points 8 months ago

My other half gets identical packages arrive all the time, looks about right for chrysanthemum seeds

[–] [email protected] 108 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Those little pip things on new tires, you gotta glue them on individually!

[–] [email protected] 27 points 8 months ago (2 children)

cilia

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago (2 children)

They help the tires move phlegm from the inner to the outer treads.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I prefer flagelli for my tires, personally.

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[–] [email protected] 98 points 8 months ago (2 children)

It says 100 Rainbow Chrysanthemum Seeds

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[–] [email protected] 95 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

They are most likely seeds. Whatever you do, DON’T plant them. If you’re in the USA, contact someone from your state’s Agricultural Department.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Could you also just like Burn them or something

[–] [email protected] 45 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Unless they are fire type, in which case you might make things worse.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 8 months ago (1 children)

For a moment I thought it was a pokemon joke, then I realised it's an actual legit concern.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 8 months ago

It was a pokemon joke. But now you mention it, there are plants whose seeds can only grow after a forest fire!

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[–] [email protected] 93 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

It’s a brushing scam. You’re now going to find that somewhere online, you have left wonderful reviews for their products.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 8 months ago (3 children)

You ought to love humanity. "We are shipping flower seeds halfway across the globe so we have at least some legitimacy to make an online rating marginally better"

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[–] [email protected] 71 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

100 rainbow Chrysanthemum seeds

There is a kind called “Livingstone Daisy” we just translate it to rainbow😂 Example

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[–] [email protected] 60 points 8 months ago (3 children)

This is what's called a Brushing Scam.

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[–] [email protected] 38 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I remember a few years ago on the other place that starts with "R", there were a bunch of people who were randomly sent seed packets from China. Big debate on whether they should plant them and if it would start the zombie apocalypse or not. Some planted them and it grew to be wildflowers...so far.

TLDR: seeds

[–] [email protected] 34 points 8 months ago

I just wanted to acknowledge your usage of the TLDR here. I just about could not be bothered to read your three sentences, but the alluring, quite interesting and enthralling TLDR hooked me in an instance and there I was reading your diatribe, absorbing and riding high on each and every word! It was altogether glorious, so I am extending this laurel and hearty handshake to you in appreciation!

TLDR: thanks

[–] [email protected] 24 points 8 months ago (11 children)

You all are awesome. What's the best way to dispose of them?

[–] [email protected] 44 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Send them to someone random

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 8 months ago

Fire.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

Crush up and snort

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 8 months ago

As other people have mentioned, please don't plant them. You have no idea what the seeds are and they could be invasive. As for why; no one's sure, but many people think it's some kind of weird customer rating scam. Like, they send you seeds and then use your info to make a fake review or something.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 8 months ago

Those are the seeds used to grow charcoal briquettes.
/s

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

Rainbow chrysanthemum flower seeds

According to google translate + OCR on the label.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The Chinese reads that it's a seed for some type of flower. Unfortunately, I don't know quite enough Chinese to know what exact type of flower

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Looks like rainbow chrysanthemum according to the iOS translate feature.

EDIT: and a Google search explains that “rainbow chrysanthemum” flowers don’t actually exist in a natural form, and seeds claiming to be them are usually just standard chrysanthemum seeds dyed to look different and won’t produce rainbow flowers.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago (2 children)

At first glance I thought it was a bag of mouse turds. XD

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I'm quite surprised it wasn't seized by customs with how blatantly obviously it contains seeds

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