Equistetum sp. strobilus
Transverse section of a Equistetum sp. strobilus (spore producing structure) showing spores developing in the a sporangium. The strobili as found is shown at: www.flickr.com/photos/14643312@N02/18511410355/. Equistetum or Horsetail is a vascular plant which produces spores instead of seeds. The specimen is from the edge of the Dowagiac River.
The protocol was as follows. Specimens fixed in FAA (formaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol) 24 hr. Dehydrated in 35, 50, 75, 85, 95, 99 % IPA in water, 6 hours each min. Infiltrated in xylene saturated with Paraplast for 2 days, followed by 2 changes of melted Paraplast for 2 hours each. Embedded in Paraplast. Sectioned on a Spencer 820 microtome at 11 micron. Cleared in Xylene 2X, 10 min each. Rehydrated 99 (10 min), 90 (10 min.), 85, 70 % IPA, 2 min. each. Stained Gill's Hematoxylin 20 sec. Washed 3 min running water. Blued 0.05 % lithium carbonate 3 s. Water rinse 1 min. Stained 1 % aq. Erythrosin-B 2 min. Dehydrated 99 % IPA 2 min 2X. Cleared 2X xyene 5 min each. Mounted with DEPEX.
Photographed on a Spencer 42 petrographic polarizing microscope using an original magnification of 200X, using a Sony NEX 5N with a Leica MIKAS 1/3X adapter.
Equistetum sp. strobilus
Transverse section of a Equistetum sp. strobilus (spore producing structure) showing spores developing in the a sporangium. The strobili as found is shown at: www.flickr.com/photos/14643312@N02/18511410355/. Equistetum or Horsetail is a vascular plant which produces spores instead of seeds. The specimen is from the edge of the Dowagiac River.
The protocol was as follows. Specimens fixed in FAA (formaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol) 24 hr. Dehydrated in 35, 50, 75, 85, 95, 99 % IPA in water, 6 hours each min. Infiltrated in xylene saturated with Paraplast for 2 days, followed by 2 changes of melted Paraplast for 2 hours each. Embedded in Paraplast. Sectioned on a Spencer 820 microtome at 11 micron. Cleared in Xylene 2X, 10 min each. Rehydrated 99 (10 min), 90 (10 min.), 85, 70 % IPA, 2 min. each. Stained Gill's Hematoxylin 20 sec. Washed 3 min running water. Blued 0.05 % lithium carbonate 3 s. Water rinse 1 min. Stained 1 % aq. Erythrosin-B 2 min. Dehydrated 99 % IPA 2 min 2X. Cleared 2X xyene 5 min each. Mounted with DEPEX.
Photographed on a Spencer 42 petrographic polarizing microscope using an original magnification of 200X, using a Sony NEX 5N with a Leica MIKAS 1/3X adapter.