Chicory

While out walking last summer in the fields near home, I came across several clusters of tall plants with blue flowers along the field edge. A sample of pollen taken from one flower proved to have an interesting 3D shape.

I tried to find them again this summer but because the path had become completely overgrown, I couldn't get to the location until the farmer mowed the edge of the field flat a few days ago. I retraced my steps from the year before and half way along the field I found some that had survived. I took a couple of flowers home and by the next day one had opened fully. It was perfect in its form and I photographed it close up.

The Chicory plants are on the left on the edge of a large field full of red and white clover

A single chicory flower deep in the undergrowth

A chicory flower photographed after it opened at home.

Magnified 10x with the stereomicroscope and backlt the beautiful colours are accentuated. Notice the blue and white stamen loaded with yellowish pollen.

Anthers and pollen magnified 30x

A single anther magnified 60x 

The compound microscope shows detail from a single stamen absolutely loaded with pollen

For some reason the pollen seems bluish here at 100x magnification

At 200x the curious multi-faceted structure becomes clear.

2 pollen grains magnified 400x showing the faceted structure and tiny spikes.

 If you want to see an amazing picture of this pollen under a Scanning Electron Microscope look here