Meanwhile my battle against the intricacies of aquatic plant taxonomy continues. I have taken on one of the worst groups, that of the aquatic Ranunculus sect. Batrachium aka Water Crowfoot. There be much more than just dragons lurking in the shadows there, I can assure you.
Anyhow, some of the explorations directions take me into microscopy and I have tried to master staining techniques which sound great on paper but are less well behaved in practice. However even a failed microslide can be enjoyable to watch as a tapestry of Nature and her expressions. Here my failed attempt to differentiate viable vs sterile or aborted pollen of Ranunculus cf. trichophyllus, one of the most confusing entries in the enigma that Water Crowfoot presents us with.
600X magnification, captured on GXCam U3-18.
