The Air Plant

[DonSchaeffer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqP8eXt1m2Q
A variety of air plants sit in tiny glass containers
on the windowsill in the sun. These resourceful plants
that don't require soil have beautiful adaptations visible
under the microscope. The images dance in and out so you
can see the structures at different levels within the leaf.

[LouiseScot]

Interesting, Don. What do they look like to the naked eye / lifesize? Can you post a pic?

Louise

[DonSchaeffer]

airplant.jpg (108.78 KiB) Viewed 4358 times

Thanks Louise. I'll get a shot of it.

[LouiseScot]

airplant.jpgThanks Louise. I'll get a shot of it.

That's cute! Are they in soil, or something else?

[DonSchaeffer]

No soil. Just sitting there on the sill.

[LouiseScot]

No soil. Just sitting there on the sill.

Oh, I wondered how they got their mineral micronutrients e.g. phosphate, calcium etc.?

[DonSchaeffer]

I don't know. Good question though.

[MickH]

I have a couple of air plants that simply sit in small trays on the kitchen windowsill. I spray them with water once a week and they seem to do OK.

[DonSchaeffer]

A small piece of one makes a fascinating study under the microscope.

[SWmicro]

No soil. Just sitting there on the sill.

Oh, I wondered how they got their mineral micronutrients e.g. phosphate, calcium etc.?

The clue is in the name !
Moisture and whatever else settles on the leaves from the air.
Trichomes often figure on the forum as images and questions, these plants use them to grab stuff from air currents and whatever else settles.

[LouiseScot]

No soil. Just sitting there on the sill.

Oh, I wondered how they got their mineral micronutrients e.g. phosphate, calcium etc.?

The clue is in the name !
Moisture and whatever else settles on the leaves from the air.
Trichomes often figure on the forum as images and questions, these plants use them to grab stuff from air currents and whatever else settles.

I suppose as much domestic dust is made up of dead human skin...

[MichaelG.]

I suppose as much domestic dust is made up of dead human skin...

.

... we should be wary of mutations and evolution

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Triffids

MichaelG.

[LouiseScot]

I suppose as much domestic dust is made up of dead human skin...

.

... we should be wary of mutations and evolution

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Triffids

MichaelG.

Heh heh - you never know!

[SWmicro]

I suppose as much domestic dust is made up of dead human skin...

... we should re-classify them as carnivorous plants.
Ugh, thank you ! till then I had pictures of them in their natural habitats, tranquil rain forests and windswept deserts, now all I see are trichomes morphing into teeth.
Remember what happened to cows when we fed them an unnatural diet, eek !

[LouiseScot]

I suppose as much domestic dust is made up of dead human skin...

... we should re-classify them as carnivorous plants.
Ugh, thank you ! till then I had pictures of them in their natural habitats, tranquil rain forests and windswept deserts, now all I see are trichomes morphing into teeth.
Remember what happened to cows when we fed them an unnatural diet, eek !

Could be worse - could be 'Soylent Green'! (Yes, I'm that old! )

[75RR]

No soil. Just sitting there on the sill.

That would make them Epiphytes. see photo and link

https://glassgardens.co.za/epiphytes/

[LouiseScot]

No soil. Just sitting there on the sill.

That would make them Epiphytes. see photo and link

https://glassgardens.co.za/epiphytes/

Yes, Tilandsia, probably

[DonSchaeffer]

In our house dust is almost all cat and dog hair. I know I examined our dust. We have 4 cats and a dog.