The size of those heads!
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The trichome “I live here” is 132μm across! I can actually go back and measure the size of anything in any of those photos. I think the record was 160μm on the sarah’s secret.
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That’s amazing! If @JoeCrowe heard a who on a trichome head we would have seen it by now! Kinda said there aren’t any now…
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Thanks for the laugh.
I just pictured someone tossing a bunch of trich’s in a bong getting ready to light it and @JoeCrowe screams from across the room diving to save the “Who’s” from being boiled. 
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Hi again @JoeCrowe … I have some questions, or doubts.
I looked at my dry pollen… Looks like:
It looks inviable, but I think that it is by the dehidratation process before storing.
If I drop some water and rehidrate it, then looks like:
That looks like viable.
If I keep the light on it till water evaporates by the heat of the microscope light, then it “shrinks” again.
So my doubts are, is it inviable or only the dehidrated look?.
I need the acetocarmin to be sure of viability, I think.
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I should try phase contrast. Probably enable seeing if the pollen has a core or not.
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Hi @Piter how long does that transition in shape take?
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Hi., Less than a minute.
The time to give a water drop and smear it a little.
And to look dehidrated again (after hidrating) depended on the heat of the microscope lamp, but as soon as water evaporates, I could see them shrinking realtime.
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Kinda weird, I always thought water directly on the pollen would make it inviable/unviable.
Any thoughts on that anyone??
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Yah good question. You would think at some point it could absorb enough water to burst open like a blood cell. Never seen it happen though! I should try sprinkling pollen on a drop of water, and see if it bursts.
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I think/suppose that if it is a short period of time that it will be viable (minutes/hours?).
I have read in some thread here that someone (couldn’t remember) disolves the pollen in water and sprays it to the plants. He/she reported that it worked for him.
But I, personally, don’t have tested.
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Good discussion and a nice finding @Piter!
Here’s a wild theory: Suppose that the latent moisture in the calyx and pistil “activates” the dehydrated pollen particles when they come into contact and the expanded pollen is then transferred down to the ovum?
That could be a mechanism for weeding out non-viable pollen, If it doesn’t hydrate properly it is rejected.
Just spitballin,
-Grouchy
PS, Hey Joe, what does “Fresh” pollen just fallen from a male flower look like? I’m wondering if it is already Desiccated when it drops naturally.
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I am finding/buying the chemicals for trying invitro pollen culture, to see if they germ (grows the tube) or not, but will take a while to find all.
In a couple weeks I will have a male flowering, I will take a look how it looks fresh.
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The first image I took of the spherical pollen was only 2min old.
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I finally cracked out the phase contrast. Hopefully I can see the cytoplasm and nucleus of the pollen. It better work lol!
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hrmmmm. It’s like some kind of fever dream! I’ll have to get out the lens and use my human eye to see WTF.
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OK another try. It’s really hard to get a photo with the phase contrast! My human eye can see it much better but not as magnified. peers into the lens
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Hello @JoeCrowe I’ve been thinking since seeing that weird 3 head trichome… do you know if they have any regenerative properties to re seal a broken head? Or replace the head all together? Very curious thanks for your knowledge in advanced. Sorry if it’s a question asked alot!
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Never personally seen a trichome cap grow back after it’s been knocked off!
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So the stalk stays caplets until the end?
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