If you walk around during spring time in Maryland you will see Daffodils in almost any residential area you go to.🏵

Daffodils are not native to Maryland or even North America. They are actually native to the Mediterranean and parts of Europe, and it is the national flower of Wales.

These lovely bright and sweetly scented flowers are actually not as sweet as you think. Their bulbs (modified stem) and leaves are highly toxic and if you eat it your mouth will become numb. Which brings me to the Daffodil’s scientific name name, Narcissus.

Narcissus has two meanings 1) numbness: if you eat the leaves or the bulb your mouth will become numb.

2) In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was known for his beauty. He was the son of the river god Cephissus and nymph Liriope. He was proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis noticed this behavior and attracted Narcissus to a pool, where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus lost his will to live. He stared at his reflection until he died.

So back to the foldscope part of this project, I really wanted to take a closer look at this amazing flower. I wanted to look at the pollen of the Daffodil.  I  pulled the anthers off the flower using forceps, crushed them and then brushed the pollen onto a slide.

I also looked at the corona of the Daffodil. The corona is the orange petals in the middle of the flowers. Their cells look like orange bubbles that are stuck together. I also feel their pigment is very beautiful and vibrant.

Finally, I looked at the outer perianth which is yellow. When I looked at it through the foldscope I found that pigment much lighter than when you look at it normally with your naked eye. I also thought the cells looked like dried snake skin that had been shed.

Thank you for your time 😀