First of all I'm really sorry this is out of focus, didn't realize until after I got home that the phone didn't focus correctly. I'm new to teaching high school science and I found a box of prepared slides in the science lab. This slide is labeled just "Apical Bud L.S." and then just Chinese characters. No species. I know ID requests are not allowed but I was wondering if anybody can tell me what that the thing being stained purple could possibly be. What's the usual microscopy stains used in plant histo/anatomy?
by rubiscodisco
4 Comments
I’d start by running the Chinese bit of the writing through a translator. Google lens will do this, but I’m pretty sure there are other apps for it, too.
L.S. stands for longitudinal section. I don’t think you’ll be able to get a specific plant ID for this, but that’s okay. The purpose of this slide is to teach kids what an apical bud looks like, not what a Liatris scariosa’s apical bud looks like.
Longitudinal section
The dye is toluidine blue.
It is used to show different structures like cell walls, and vascular systems in plants.
Label says longitudinal section (ship_toaster called it first), and a bud.
But for what its worth, it looks to me like a plant ovule.
Which is like, in a bud. Or a bud forms one.
Whatever, details.
Question is, is it an angiosperm or gymnosperm?
And, why the purple?