Foldscope has changed the perception of students. It has infused lots of weird ideas in the students. They are passionate to see every odd thing with it.

Cycas is a gymnosperm with separate male and female plants. It is grown as an ornamental plant.  A few female plants are also growing in our college campus. It does not bear compact female cones, instead a whorl of loose megasporophylls that are the female reproductive structures arise in a rosette-like manner at the tip of stem. The megasporophylls bear ovules.

The unique thing about Cycas revoluta is that the megasporophylls are tomentose  i.e are covered with brown-coloured hairs. Outer surface of the ovule is also covered with orange-yellow hairs which are lost after fertilization.

Students pulled out some hair with the tweezers and observed it using a foldscope. These  hair seemed amazing when seen under the foldscope during one of the workshop sessions.

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