Equisetum arvense
This is a composite image of a transverse section through the stem of a Horse Hair (Equisetum arvense.) The stem is multi-layered. Specimen collected along the Dowagiac River, 25 May 2015. The background is hard to control using the 3X objective on this microscope, hence the noise.
The protocol was as follows. Specimens fixed in FAA (formaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol) 48 hr. Dehydrated in IPA at 35, 50, 70, 85, 91, 95, 99 %. Infiltrated with paraplast saturated xylene 48 hr followed by 3 Paraplast baths prior to embedding in Paraplast. Sectioned 7 um thick on a Spencer 820 microtome. Cleared in xylene, 5 min, 2X. Rehydrated in 99, 95, 80, 70 %IPA. Stained in Johansen's Safranin-O, Fast Green (24 hours in Safranin-O, 15 sec. in fast green). Cleared 2 X in xylene 10 min each and mounted with DPEX.
Photographed in bright field on a Spencer 42 petrographic microscope at original magnification of 30X using a Sony NEX-5N and a Leica MIKAS 1/3X adapter.
Equisetum arvense
This is a composite image of a transverse section through the stem of a Horse Hair (Equisetum arvense.) The stem is multi-layered. Specimen collected along the Dowagiac River, 25 May 2015. The background is hard to control using the 3X objective on this microscope, hence the noise.
The protocol was as follows. Specimens fixed in FAA (formaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol) 48 hr. Dehydrated in IPA at 35, 50, 70, 85, 91, 95, 99 %. Infiltrated with paraplast saturated xylene 48 hr followed by 3 Paraplast baths prior to embedding in Paraplast. Sectioned 7 um thick on a Spencer 820 microtome. Cleared in xylene, 5 min, 2X. Rehydrated in 99, 95, 80, 70 %IPA. Stained in Johansen's Safranin-O, Fast Green (24 hours in Safranin-O, 15 sec. in fast green). Cleared 2 X in xylene 10 min each and mounted with DPEX.
Photographed in bright field on a Spencer 42 petrographic microscope at original magnification of 30X using a Sony NEX-5N and a Leica MIKAS 1/3X adapter.