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Charles Krebs

Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 5789 Location: Issaquah, WA USA
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:35 pm Post subject: Stinging nettle trichome |
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Quite by accident I came across some nettles the other day .
So after the numbness in my finger tips subsided I carefully collected some, and took a look at the underside of a leaf. Here you can see a nice example of a stinging trichome along one of the leaf veins. The tapered tube is very stiff and brittle due to a composition that includes silicates. The small ball-shaped tip breaks off easily on contact resulting in an extremely sharp point. The bulbous base, although appearing somewhat solid, is actually quite flexible, somewhat like an inflated bag, so that the enclosed liquid (containing sodium formamide, acetyl choline, histamine) is readily "pumped" into the unfortunate creature that pushed against the tube.
Olympus BHA, BH2-UMA, MSPlan 10/0.30 and NFK 2.5X, Canon T3i. (25x recorded on sensor). Illuminated with base light coming through leaf surface.
 _________________ http://www.krebsmicro.com
Last edited by Charles Krebs on Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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RogelioMoreno
Joined: 20 Nov 2009 Posts: 2954 Location: Panama
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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Charles,
Very nice!
Very good notes.
Rogelio |
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rjlittlefield Site Admin

Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 18687 Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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Incredible quality, both technical and artistic. This could be an illustration in anything from a textbook to a fairy tale.
--Rik |
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dennisua
Joined: 31 May 2011 Posts: 98 Location: Kiev, Ukraine
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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So that's how it looks! Very nice picture! |
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Cactusdave

Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 1606 Location: Bromley, Kent, UK
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:01 am Post subject: |
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Stunning image. As Rik says, it has aesthetic beauty, while conveying scientific information in a very striking way. I love the lighting, it just compliments the image so well. _________________ Leitz Ortholux 1, Zeiss standard, Nikon Diaphot inverted, Canon photographic gear |
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Pau Site Admin

Joined: 20 Jan 2010 Posts: 4237 Location: Valencia, Spain
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:34 am Post subject: |
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Extraordinary image!
Is it Urtica sp? _________________ Pau |
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Mitch640
Joined: 15 Aug 2010 Posts: 2137
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:02 am Post subject: |
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A beautiful image, but I still don't like nettles.  |
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lauriek Site Admin

Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 2404 Location: South East UK
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:13 am Post subject: |
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Beautiful! I've been meaning to try these but never got round to it, not sure I'll bother now!! The little ball is very interesting, I suppose if that wasn't there the sharp end would gradually 'erode'...
What I hate with nettles is kneeling on little ones, oooooooooouch! _________________ Flickr | www.laurieknight.net | Blog |
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discomorphella
Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 599 Location: NW USA
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:06 am Post subject: |
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Hi Charlie--
That's just spectacular. Its as though you have a SEM on your desk instead of a BHA....and the backlighting is amazing, especially coming up through the vein on the leaf. Now I want to thin section a nettle leaf through the trichome.
David |
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Charles Krebs

Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 5789 Location: Issaquah, WA USA
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:04 am Post subject: |
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Thanks all.
Pau,
Yes, definitely Urtica sp., most likely Urtica dioica.
This was the second leaf tried on the microscope. For the first one I had simply cut out a section and placed it on the slide to photograph. But it was not successful... I watched one trichome after another simply "fall over" as the liquid at the base of the "needle" drained into the cut the leaf section. The rigid needle remained intact, but the base shrunk quickly like a thick balloon with a leak. It illustrated clearly just how flexible the bulbous base is. On the second try I made a tiny "pool" of water (with putty) on the slide, used a whole leaf, and positioned the leaf stem so that it rested in the water. Worked fine.
Last time I posted a shot of this subject (4 years ago!), Betty mentioned its use in salads, as well as nettle eating contests.
I knew that it was used as a salad, but every time I encounter this plant I wonder about the first person to entertain the idea of this as a foodstuff. As I said 4 years ago:
... makes me smile and wonder at the thought process involved in the first person to try that... something like this:
OUCH! This plant is nasty! It really stings and itches if you touch it.... how about we serve some up with dinner? _________________ http://www.krebsmicro.com |
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Marek Mis
Joined: 10 Jul 2010 Posts: 2452 Location: Suwalki, Poland
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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Charlie,
Beautiful image !
It is very pleasant to see the nettle in your photography. It is one of my the most favourite plants for microphotography (especially in polarized light).
Best regards
Marek |
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Wim van Egmond

Joined: 15 Aug 2006 Posts: 825 Location: Berkel en Rodenrijs, the Netherlands
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:20 am Post subject: |
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Wow, that is spectacular. It was one of the things on my to do list. Guess I can skip that one. I think it is not easy to find something that has not been seen on the forum. Not that we have to, but it is fun to discover new subjects.
Wim |
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Antonio Garrigós Sánchez

Joined: 12 May 2011 Posts: 28
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Planapo

Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1533 Location: Germany, in the United States of Europe
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 12:01 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, perfect image, Charlie!
Back then 4 years ago, I thought those images couldn't be done better, but now with this one you've really trumped yourself.
Look, after a hard day of photographing the nettles, you may want to enjoy them even more, with your well-earned evening beer, it might take a six-pack, though :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW1qs3Gz30I
--Betty  |
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abpho

Joined: 17 Aug 2011 Posts: 1426 Location: Earth
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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Awesome shot. Perfect execution.
PS: Now I know how to get a black tongue. Eat 30 feet of Nettles. Thanks. |
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