[Bcrazy]

As you may or may not know a lot of my previous photos have been removed, my mistake for which I apologise.
So to make up for it here's some from my collection.

Just seeing if these turn out ok.

Regards;

 

[Bcrazy]

Not sure how many are permitted on one post but here's so more>>>>>>.......

That's it for now as I don't want members to become fed up with them.

Regards;

 

[Hobie]

Fascinating! Any chance you could photograph milkweed? I've heard it is an interesting "bolo" configuration that wraps around bees' legs. Would love to see it.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi Hobie

I have a sample of Alpine milk vetch and that's a weed, as I'm wondering if its the same as you mention. Do you have the biological name for the plant in question, as that remains constant?

Regards;

 

[G3farms]

Bcrazy,
we have a family of milkweed plants in the US

asclepiadaceae

swamp milkweed...................asclepias incarnata
common milkweed................. " syriaca
orange milkweed................... " tuberosa
white milkweed..................... " variegata

Maybe that will help. we also have several types of vetch here, good for cattle pasture but very invasive and hard to kill out.

Those are some great photos, thanks for sharing. What kind of set up do you have for that, microscope?

G3

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi G3farms

Thank you for the comprehensive list of 'milkweed'.

I have searched our sites for the botanic name Asclepias syriaca and I just can not find any sites that show it.

We have a number of Vetch here in the UK I have a file of "Yellow Alpine Milk Vetch" and today I will make a slide and post the pollen grain.

I must admit to being a Pollen freak because I find the structure of individual pollen grains fasinating, how something so small is beautifully defined is beyound belief at times.

The set up is just a normal compound microscope and a camera for microscopes that can enharnce up to X1000.
The pollen grains are sometimes stained to bring out the full deffinition of the structure.

Regards;

 

[Hobie]

Bcrazy,

Here is a site that has some good photos: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/art ... kweed.html

Actually, I just read the page, and it is fascinating! The flowers are beautiful, but it's a wonder any get pollinated..

I guess the "bolo" structure I referred to is the pollinia (about half way down the page) and is not the pollen itself. It is just a means to tangle around insect legs to be transported.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi Hobie

Brilliant information regarding the 'milkweed'.

The pollen grains from the 'vetch' I mentioned are rather non descriptive.

Regards;

 

[G3farms]

bcrazy, what size is the scale you are showing?

G3

 

[Bcrazy]

sorry I should have thought to put the measurements in.

I photograph the pollen grains with the eye graticule showing at X400
therefore each graticule will be 2.5um in size. So the pollen grains in question would be 32.5um in size.

This way I know the size of the pollen grains and then go on to expand the photograph for better identification.

Regards;

 

[G3farms]

So just a little over 1 thousands of an inch (0.001279 inches), about the thickness of a human hair. Thats pretty cool.

Is this just a hobby for you, taking micro photography, or is it part of your job?

G3

 

[Bcrazy]

Microscopy for me is an offshoot from beekeeping.

I also carry out disease recognition, except for viruses, and dissection of the Honey bee both internal and external.

I think some of my work has been shown on this site but there again I might have inadvertently moved it and it has been eraised.

I don't want to swamp your site with photo's of bees insides.

Regards;

 

[Iddee]

Swamp, maybe not, but a steady feeding, definitely YES.
Too much at once and my tiny brain will overload. A steady feeding along the way and maybe I can learn something. I think your postings are valuable enough to spend time on each one, without skipping some to keep up with the next. Thanks for them and keep them coming.