Nasturtium Pollen
Aug 11, 2025 • 2:39 PM UTC
United States
140x Magnification
Plants
Holly Stuart (Foldscope Team)
Education Specialist at Foldscope Instruments
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1083comments
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All of the recent rain and cooler temperatures have slowed the flower production down a bit. I was able to get some pollen pictures - although, it was quite challenging to get clear images (I might have to try again with this flower later in the season...). It seems that there is some texture on the surface in the darkfield image, but the reflective ones look smooth...
These images were collected using the 140X magnification lens, 5X digital zoom on my phone, and a variety of lighting techniques.
These images were collected using the 140X magnification lens, 5X digital zoom on my phone, and a variety of lighting techniques.
Then I increased to the 340X magnification lens. These images were collected using the 340X magnification lens, 5X digital zoom on my phone, and a variety of lighting techniques.
But this is the fun of the Foldscope! Every observation can teach you something and let you see something new. For example, in some of the images, the pollen appears "wet", I am wondering if that is moisture from the recent rains, or if it is something intrinsic to the flower. I didn't let the flower sit and dry before collecting the pollen (applying tape to the anthers), so I will definitely be checking this one again. Stay tuned!
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