This is an image of a group of grains of pollen obtained from a flower’s stamen. This sample was obtained at 4:22 PM PDT on May 8, 2019, near Caltech’s Millikan Pond (located near the southwest of campus at 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125). The sample was obtained specifically from the below flower:
General location of flower sampled. The Millikan Library, adjacent to the Millikan Pond, can be seen in the background on the left.
Closeup of flower sampled.
The sample was obtained by scraping pollen off of the stamen of the flower with a piece of cardboard and onto a microscope slide. A coverslip was placed over immediately and taped down, making this a dry sample.
The flower’s shape (three large and three small pedals), vibrant colors, and size indicate that it is some sort of daylily (Genus Hemerocallis). However, there are many variants and hybrids of daylilies, so the species is difficult to determine from phenotype alone. Based on the color and shape, my best guess is that this flower is a “Ruby Spider”, a hybrid species. By comparing the phenotypic similarities between this variant and the various original species of Hemerocallis, my guess is that the “Ruby Spider” hybrid was likely derived from the species Hemerocallis Fulva. However, to know for sure, DNA sequence alignment might be useful in trying to reassemble the genetic lineage of these flowers. #caltechbi1