Pollen ropes

Feb 06, 2017 • 9:46 PM UTC

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Manu Prakash

I am a faculty at Stanford and run the Prakash Lab at Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University. Foldscope community is at the heart of our Frugal Science movement - and I can not tell you how proud I am of this community and grassroots movement. Find our work here: http://prakashlab.stanford.edu

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I made a surprising discovery while eating dinner today. My mom mounted some flowers on the dinner table; which she had plucked from the street. They are beautiful – and although everyone is eating dinner, I can’t focus on my food since something is bothering me about this flower. See for yourself!!

You see the “fungal like” strands in the flower. Here is a digital zoom of the section.

I quickly transferred this white material on my slide; while nobody has as yet noticed that I am not eating (I am sure they soon will). And the moment I put this on my Foldscope – I am shocked!! This is no fungus – but a “pollen rope”

These pollen ropes range from single pollen grain thickness to bundles that have no structure. If I use on it; I can squeeze them into an amorphous looking powder.

Here I can also see the points of stiction between the pollen grains. What a wonderful sight.
I have seen so many flowers; never seen such a structure only made out of pollen. What could be its use/function.
One crazy idea I am exploring is May be this is how they are secreted from cells which become pollen. So I will now look closely at how pollen is actually made.
What a wonderful diversion from dinner. But I better get back to eating before anyone notices.
Cheers
Manu
Ps: if you know the species of flowers; please leave that in the comment. And eat your dinner friends.