This pollen sample was collected from a rose (pictured) in one of Caltech’s rose gardens on May 7 at 6 pm. The sample was prepared by placing a drop of water on a plastic coverslip and gently pressing the coverslip multiple times against the anthers of the rose. The coverslip was then mounted on a glass slide and inserted into a foldscope.

I noticed that the pollen grains for this rose seem to be smaller than grains of pollen for other species of flowers, such as daylilies, around Caltech. The pollen grains also appear to have darker centers and are shaped like compressed footballs. It would be interesting to find out how the shape, size, and color of pollen grains relate to which organisms pollinate the flower. For instance, certain pollen shapes may be more aerodynamic than others or may adhere well to specific pollinators, and pollinators may find certain colors more attractive than others. Determining the relationship between pollen shape, color, or size and specific pollinators could allow scientists to predict pollinators for plant species based on the pollen grain shape. It would also be nice to determine what the dark centers of the pollen grains are; a clearer image and more magnification might help.