Two Photos of a Dandelion Petal

May 27, 2019 • 10:51 PM UTC

United States

140x Magnification

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emann

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The first image shows a Dandelion Petal magnified. The petal is very thin based on the patterns of light transmission observed. Moreover, it is yellow because of the color of the petal (yellow). It is also worth noting that you can make out horizontal lines along the petal upon close inspection; this relates to the direction of motion of resources within the petal (along the petal horizontally between the two ends of the petal)

The second image shows fibers at the tip of a dandelion petal. The fibers are incredibly thin and seem to bend randomly. They are also fairly transparent. What is most interesting is how they seem to emerge from the surface of the petal and how small they are relative to the size of the petal.

The sample (right image below) was collected at 3:30 pm on 5/27/2019 at the California Institute of Technology, from a plot of land (left image below) between Ruddock House and Chandler Cafe (between 1300 and 1320 San Pasqual St, Pasadena, CA 91106). The dandelion was removed from the ground and a petal was removed from the dandelion.