Odd white "stars" on leaves
- adampembs
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Odd white "stars" on leaves
No idea what these are. I can see what look like spores, but I suspect they are contaminants.
Adam Pollard
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- Chris Yeates
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Re: Odd white "stars" on leaves
Hi Adamadampembs wrote:No idea what these are. I can see what look like spores, but I suspect they are contaminants.
the plant is an Elaeagnus, and what you are seeing are the "trichomes", in this instance effectively peltate hairs, which give the leaf its silvery appearance (and help it survive periods of drought).
See: http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/628196/view
cheers
Chris
PS I seem to remember, when I was bought my first microscope (one step up from a toy one) well over half a century ago it came with a prepared slide, and it looked suspiciously like these . . . .
"You must know it's right, the spore is on the wind tonight"
Steely Dan - "Rose Darling"
Steely Dan - "Rose Darling"