First entry- spring flower
May 19, 2026 • 4:56 AM UTC
Canada
140x Magnification
Plants
Apurav Tambe
I am a PhD student at Pan-Lab, University of Waterloo. I am studying droplet fibre interactions but I am interested in anything physics..
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This is my first time using Foldscope and what a joy it is! I was genuinely amazed by how much detail I could see in something I usually walk past without thinking too deeply about. It reminded me of Feynman’s idea that scientific understanding does not reduce the beauty of nature; it lets us appreciate that beauty at a deeper level.
The flower I observed was from an ornamental pear tree along my path to university.
The flower I observed was from an ornamental pear tree along my path to university.
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Petal: Under strong backlighting, the petal looked almost translucent. I could see a delicate, porous-looking internal texture, like a soft fibrous network inside the thin white tissue. It was surprisingly beautiful — not just a smooth petal, but a tiny landscape of structure and light.
Stamens: I also observed the stamens , the male reproductive parts of the flower. Each stamen consists of a thin filament and a pollen-producing anther at the tip.
Under the Foldscope, I could see small yellow pollen grains near the anther region. The pollen grains were not perfectly resolved yet, but they appeared as tiny rounded yellow particles clustered around the reproductive structures.
Under the Foldscope, I could see small yellow pollen grains near the anther region. The pollen grains were not perfectly resolved yet, but they appeared as tiny rounded yellow particles clustered around the reproductive structures.
Pistil: I think I also observed the pistil , the female reproductive part of the flower, although I am not completely sure. The sample was tiny and difficult to isolate cleanly.
The top region looked slightly gooey or sticky, which made me wonder if I was looking at the stigma — the part of the pistil that receives and captures pollen grains. That stickiness may be an important feature for trapping pollen during pollination.
Note to future self: I need better tools for handling and dissecting tiny flower parts — maybe fine tweezers
The top region looked slightly gooey or sticky, which made me wonder if I was looking at the stigma — the part of the pistil that receives and captures pollen grains. That stickiness may be an important feature for trapping pollen during pollination.
Note to future self: I need better tools for handling and dissecting tiny flower parts — maybe fine tweezers
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I collected a few more flowers and noticed yellow pollen grains in almost all of them. I now wonder whether yellow pollen is common across many flowers or whether pollen color depends strongly on species. This feels like a perfect question to keep exploring through spring.
For now, this first Foldscope session made a familiar flower feel completely new. And I hope I don’t get allergic to pollen before spring ends — because suddenly every flower on my walk looks like a tiny universe waiting to be explored.
For now, this first Foldscope session made a familiar flower feel completely new. And I hope I don’t get allergic to pollen before spring ends — because suddenly every flower on my walk looks like a tiny universe waiting to be explored.
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