This is a magnified image (using foldscope) of pollen from a Alstroemeria aurea Graham Peruvian-lily. This sample was collected on 5/8/19 at roughly 4:30 pm from the Caltech campus flowers. Below is a picture of where the sample was obtained. Using a dampened q-tip, the pollen was brushed from the flower.

Potential questions I had about the image of the pollen include: how did plants evolve such that their progeny would require the mechanism of pollination? This might have something to do with mutual benefit between species, as insects such as bees get their energy from flower nectar while spreading pollen. #caltechbi1