Page 3 of 5

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 5:57 pm
by mrsonchus
Alan! Fear-Not!

This is definitely a Cornflower, and the pollen images do correlate with the PalDat webpages.

The key here is the word "prolate",
prolate pollen shape.JPG
prolate pollen shape.JPG (21.05 KiB) Viewed 21781 times
a description entirely appropriate for your grains.

They also look to have 3 pores within 3 colpi (the in-folds visible in the surface, running parallel to the long axis.
The similarites go on.

A good and useful image you have taken for ID when taken together with your plant image. I'd say you are bang-on old chap.

With this amount of experience under your belt have you considered imaging pollen under varying preparations? Dry, in water without and with coverslip, in oil with coverslip, stained with a little red stain (Safranin-powder online is dirt-cheap and simply mixed 1% w/v with water) --- also with a viscous prep like oil you'll very likely see some 'end-on' views also. In this case the view would be assentially triangular of course.....

Another interesting example!

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 5:53 pm
by Roldorf
If you need unlimited free storage for your images for this forum, go to Google Photos.
Deleted it doesn't work, or maybe it does :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:25 am
by Roldorf
Only one for today.
Found growing in our back garden next to the bins.

Image

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 3:14 pm
by tgss
Hi Roldorf
I'm afraid Google Photos has been most UNcourteous since, for me at least, the images regfused to appear!
Tom

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 4:00 pm
by Roldorf
Deleted, not working

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 4:27 pm
by tgss
Sorry Roldorf... I've misled you I'm afraid. I meant that your photo in your latest pollen post did not appear. Just a large blank space with something like a "No Entry" sign in the middle of it.
Best regards
Tom

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:10 pm
by Roldorf
Hi I will look at that thanks.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:24 pm
by Roldorf
You are quite correct. I have logged out of google and cleared all my cache from chrome and all I can see are image tags. Shame. I will have to re-post my last image and delete the posts I made on how to do it.

That's very strange I have just redone the last image, cleared the cache in the same way and now it works and I can still see the image.

I wonder if you could check it now, also a post I made on how to insert images from google photos here:
viewtopic.php?f=15&p=68808#p68808

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 7:32 pm
by tgss
Hi Alan
Excellent! The image associated with the last pollen post is much clearer now :D And a very fine image it is. I always tended to think of pollen as a subject as being a bit boring, but your series of posts and images has got me changing my mind.
Also, the post describing the method of inserting images from Google Photo includes all the images. I'm not sure how you worked out the fairly convoluted process, but it's working, and the post gives a very clear procedure for doing it. Thanks for that.
Tom

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 7:39 pm
by Roldorf
Thanks Tom I am glad it works don't know why that image hadn't worked before, I reposted it and it now works fine. I have checked it out now on three different browsers including on an Ipad with the native safari browser and I can see all the images even without logging in.
Many thanks for your reply, it always helps when something doesn't work to have people point it out.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:34 am
by Roldorf
Looking for pollen from Mentha longifolia (horse mint) flower and found this:

Image

Anyone any ideas?

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 6:57 pm
by Roldorf
Finally the Horse Mint pollen. This will be the last pollen image unless I find something unusual as they are starting to look very similar apart maybe for the sizes and the old descriptions from biologists from yesteryear.
Hope you enjoyed them.

Image

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 7:06 pm
by mrsonchus
Very nice. I've enjoyed your pollen series very much! We have some apple-mint just developing inflorescences at the moment. I may take a few samples from it for sectioning.

What are you going to point your 'scope at next?

Thanks for the series, it's been great!
Also, congratulations for your clear development of technique during this series. This image is as good as any I've taken of 'just on the slide' pollen - well done my friend!

Onward-ho for your microscopy! :D :D

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 8:27 pm
by Roldorf
Hi John many thanks for your encouragement and I am glad you enjoyed the series. I will of course keep looking at pollen and it's interesting to see the uses these 'wild' plants were put to in the past. It's also quite amazing to see how they have been inadvertently spread throughout the world by botanists and escapes from institutions. It reminds me of the science fiction story I read when I was a young lad by John Wyndham (The day of the Triffids) which many years later I went to see as a film and was very disappointed, being only loosely based on the book, no where near as exciting.

My next project is to experiment with various methods of making permanent slides (or near permanent) with the first trial with nail polish. I bought some a week or so ago but have not as yet attempted anything. I shall probably take some thin sections of plant stems with my trusty razor blade and see how they turn out. I have some alcohol and there are many good trials on the internet with how to do it. I also found an article yesterday on using 'Loctite' glass adhesive to permanently mount specimens.

I will post the results of my attempts when I have something worth posting.
I have been following your comprehensive daffodil root tip mitosis posts, very interesting but a bit out of my depth with the nomenclature. Also your behind the scenes work on the 'grossing' of specimens.
The ivy from your wall was also interesting, so lots to think about.

Keep up the good work.

Alan

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:04 pm
by tgss
Hi Alan
It must be just me! I gather John B could see your latest pollen images, but I'm afraid, once again, I can't. Has something changed between the time John viewed your post and the time I did?

Have to agree about John Wyndham - one of my favourite sci-fi authors from back in the day. As is very common the translation onto the big screen was definitely less than adequate. Actually I think my favourite Wyndham novel, probably his least well known, is "The Trouble with Lichen". Sorry to go off topic.
Tom

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:13 pm
by MichaelG.
tgss wrote:Hi Alan
It must be just me! I gather John B could see your latest pollen images, but I'm afraid, once again, I can't. Has something changed between the time John viewed your post and the time I did?

Tom
You are not alone, Tom

MichaelG.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:24 pm
by mrsonchus
tgss wrote:Hi Alan
It must be just me! I gather John B could see your latest pollen images, but I'm afraid, once again, I can't. Has something changed between the time John viewed your post and the time I did?

Have to agree about John Wyndham - one of my favourite sci-fi authors from back in the day. As is very common the translation onto the big screen was definitely less than adequate. Actually I think my favourite Wyndham novel, probably his least well known, is "The Trouble with Lichen". Sorry to go off topic.
Tom
Something's definitely changed as the image of the last pollen was fine, but I couldn't see the one above it. Right-now I can't see either, the one I could see earlier (the last one) is gone also - just that sort-of 'no entry' sign.....

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 7:50 am
by Roldorf
The story goes on. It seems that when I am logged on to my google account everyone can see the images. However when I am not logged on to google people don't have access to my shared images in google photos only google drive, so I need to do a little bit more research into it. In the meantime I will store the images on google drive until I find out how to get round the problem.
Alan.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2019 3:42 pm
by Roldorf
A new post in the pollen series:-

The reason that image is in the pollen series is I also have this and I am too lazy to make an extra post:-

Image

There were quite a few of the same grains in the flower but no others very mysterious!!

I was in our Schrebergarten (allotment kind of only a bit more than that in Germany) and decided to take a small sample of water home from our garden pump. I would think it must be over 1.5 meters deep into the earth (at least).
Looking at the sample when I got home I found it was mostly algae however I did come across this:-



Anyone any Ideas? I would love to know what it is.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2019 5:56 pm
by tgss
Sorry Alan. Pictures failed to show up again (for me at least).
Tom W.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2019 6:12 pm
by Roldorf
Yes posting images with Google Photos is a bit hit and miss. Pictures are now with postimage.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2019 7:39 pm
by MicroBob
Hi Alan,
you have found a very attractive way to present your pollen series! I like the combination of pollen image, plant image and short explanation all in one picture a lot.

Bob

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 1:35 am
by tgss
I heartily agree with Bob. The collage is very attractive and informative. In fact if all three images in the collage above were of the same plant it would be perfect, and could even be extended, within limits, to include other details.

As for the unknown, I've no idea, except that it definitely looks rotiferish.
Tom W.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 5:36 am
by 75RR
Looks like Alternaria sp

Image

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:44 pm
by Roldorf
The last one from yesterday:-



Image

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:50 pm
by MicroBob
Hi Alan,
a nicely even cut!

I applied some more unsharp masking to your image - a matter of personal preference, to me it looks a bit more clear.

Bob

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:13 pm
by mrsonchus
Looks very nice indeed - the 'tome is clearly working well!
The lineage of xylem is clear to see - and of course the completely unbroken vascular cylinder may make this a 'siphonostele' anatony?
The phloem is usually far smaller than the xylem, and has a habit of being very hard to see at all.
A nice clean cut, and I agree, it looks very even too!

Nicely-done my friend! Time to inverst in a little stain! :D

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:20 pm
by Roldorf
Hi John I have stain, kongo rot and baumwolle blau use it for the mushrooms. Also meltzers reagent for testing the spores. The stem cross sections are so pretty it seems a shame to stain them :D

I found it much easier to use the carrot by putting it to the front and then putting the section to cut at the back of the tome so 'jamming it in' with the carrot.

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:53 pm
by mrsonchus
I know what you mean Alan, that beautiful 'glistening' look; images beautifully too!

Nice work my friend, more! :D

Re: Pollen. There's lots of it about.

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2019 8:22 pm
by Roldorf
Found some interesting pollen, (strange shape) looks much better under the scope however. Open the image in a new tab to see full size view:-

Image