Scale Trichomes

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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Walter Piorkowski
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Location: South Beloit, Ill

Scale Trichomes

Post by Walter Piorkowski »

Image

Image 1 - 604 micron F.O.V. Swedish ivy leaf showing surface cells and two red scale trichomes. Note that the upper right hand trichome has a mold spore laying next to it. Trichomes show a 5 and 8 lobe shape. UO22x objective.

Image

Image 2 - 250 micron F.O.V. Aging Swedish ivy leaf with closed trichome. UO50x dry objective.

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Image 3 - Approximately 90 micron F.O.V. Fresh Swedish ivy leaf showing surface cells and scale trichome. High magnification and immersion in oil gives it a strange appearance. Trichrome is open showing portions of 6 cells within the green center. Seven lobe shape. UO75x oil objective.

Image

Image 4 - Approximately 90 micron F.O.V. Fresh Swedish ivy leaf showing surface cells and scale trichome with mold spore. Image for comparison to same trichome upper left in image 1. The trichrome is open showing portions of 4 cells within the green center. Five lobe shape. UO75x oil objective.

Image

Image 5 - Approximately 200 micron F.O.V. Cut section of leaf, providing a 45 degree angle view. Shows the true shape of the trichome. Makes images 3 and 4 seem like optical illusions. This trichrome is closed. Seven or possibly 8 lobe shape. UO50x dry objective.

Image

Image 6 - Approximately 150 micron F.O.V. Transverse cut section through a trichrome. Details in the trichrome are a little sparse but the three small cells underneath it are well defined and show what could be seen in the central openings of Images 3 and 4. UO50x dry objective.


Scale trichomes of Swedish Ivy.

The trichome seems to be a catch all term for an outgrowth of the epidermis. Usually a hair but in this case a scale. When studying the ivy Plectranthus verticillatus, I found it to be an excellent source of scales. I have no idea what purpose they serve for the plant. They are liberally sprinkled over the surface at intervals equal to the spacing in image 1. Although quite small they come in a variety of shapes and are interesting to look at. I am surprised that the lobes can differ from 5 to 8. When open in the center, they reveal inner details of the lower epidermal cell structure.

Views from above are interesting but somewhat confusing as at least to my eye. Convex surfaces seem like concave. The hard fought for images 5 and 6 help sort things out. The sectional image number 6 shows that the trichrome occupies a depression in the epidermis surface. Cells of the lower epidermis seem to pass right underneath.

All images are stacked from 50 to 80 images. Illumination on all is oblique brightfield, except for Images 5 and 6, which incorporated addition EPI illumination.

Walt

Leitz Ortholux, Canon 50D,
Zerene Stacker, PhotoShop

leonardturner
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Post by leonardturner »

Very interesting and attractive post; I am particularly taken with the third and fourth images. I have read of glandular trichomes which may have some function in protecting a plant from insects; I wonder if this is what you have here. Thanks for posting.

Leonard

Pau
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Post by Pau »

Swedish ivy... :smt017...ah, in Spain it's called planta del dinero, money plant because the round leafs, if it grows well you will become rich - although this legend have not passed my experimental test :lol:
Tomorrow I'll put it under the microscope to look at that trichomes

Very nice images, did you use cover glass or direct oil dipping?
Pau

Sumguy01
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Post by Sumguy01 »

:smt041 Very Interesting.
Thanks for sharing.

Jacek
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Post by Jacek »

Very nice

Walter Piorkowski
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Post by Walter Piorkowski »

Thank you so much Leonard, Pau, Sumguy and Jacek. Leonard, if I may ask what is it about image 3 and 4 that interest you? Pau, I used direct oil dipping for the UO 75x objective. Per Leitz, a cover slip is not required. Enjoy your future observations. Walt

JH
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Post by JH »

Interesting and nice pictures!
Best regards
Jörgen Hellberg
Jörgen Hellberg, my webbsite www.hellberg.photo

WalterD
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Post by WalterD »

Very interesting, I agree. Never seen something like this before.

Walter Piorkowski
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Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 6:42 pm
Location: South Beloit, Ill

Post by Walter Piorkowski »

Thank you Walter. Walt.

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