Chive Pollen

Applause IconMay 01, 2025 • 4:03 PM UTC
Location IconUnited States
Applause Icon340x Magnification
Applause IconPlants
Holly Stuart (Foldscope Team)

Education Specialist at Foldscope Instruments

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The next flower to bloom in my garden was on my chive plants. These flowers are a beautiful pink color. They are actually clusters of flowers bundled together. When you look closely, you can see the individual flowers with the anthers reaching out.
I put the sticky side of clear tape to the anthers to collect the pollen to view under my Foldscope 2.0. The pollen grains are ovoid in shape and have swirly/curved striations on the surface. This image is at 340X magnification with brightfield lighting.
When the lighting is switched to darkfield, the grains take on a glittery appearance.
And with reflective lighting, they seem to glow on the slide. The aperture is much more evident in this image.
I can't wait to see what blooms next!

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