Botanical experiment

[Rense Haveman]

Some time ago I bought a Pentax K microscope adapter. Not that I planned to use it much, but for my botanical work I sometimes need a microscope, and it looked like fun to mount a camera to the microscope and make photos. Saves time, because otherwise I have to make drawings. Well, not really, because now I have to spend time behind LightRoom to develop the photos.

This weekend I experimented a bit with cross sections of fescue leafs. Sheep fescues are a notoriously difficult genus, and for the identification such cross sections are often needed. Important features of the anatomy of sheep fescues: the development of sclerenchyma (the light band at the outer side of the leaf), the number of veins and furrows, and the number and length of hairs at the inner side of the leafs.

Here three examples, Festuca filiformis, F. lemanii, and F. brevipila. All at 7x9 magnification.

What I learned: I have to clean the glasswork of the microscope very well, otherwise it's one spotted misery... Alcohol is your best friend in such microscope photography...


Festuca filiformis by Rense Haveman, on Flickr




Festuca lemanii by Rense Haveman, on Flickr




Festuca brevipila by Rense Haveman, on Flickr

 

[Glen Roberts]

Alcohol is your best friend in such microscope photography...

Alcohol is my best friend full stop...Hic!

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Excellent Rense, each one has it's own beauty and am sure for the informative a lot more besides.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Good work, Rense. The second has a certain Pacman vibe...Really good shots, though. Do you have a photo of your setup?

 

[Rense Haveman]

Thank you!

Good work, Rense. The second has a certain Pacman vibe...Really good shots, though. Do you have a photo of your setup?

Pentax microscope adapter K by Rense Haveman, on Flickr

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Impressive!

 

[Pete Askew]

Really nicely done, Rense. Did you cut the section by hand? I usually set the white balance to tungsten and then keep the lamp intensity constant. I find it makes it easier to keep the colour correction constant.

Funnily enough I was just digging out some late 19th prepared slides I have as Robbie has bought a small 19th century microscope and I wanted to take some into work for him to play with. The one I was fishing out was of Marram Grass.