

Leitz Ortholux microscope
4X Leitz projection eyepiece plus 1/3x relay lens
Image No.1
Stem barbs
129 images at 5 micron increments
Olympus 10x Plan Achromat objective
Dark Field Illumination
Image No.2
Hairy Bedstraw flower
52 images at .002 inch increments
Leitz 4x Plan Fluorite Achromat objective
Diffused Fiber Optic Illumination
Canon 50D
Zerene PMax and Photoshop 7 processing.
The excellent stinging nettle image by Charles prompted me to jump in with a month old image of a similar subject in our yard. Hairy bedstraw is a strange plant with barbs on the stems and leaves that act like Velcro against the skin and if it is brushed up against itself there is a hopelessly tangled mess to deal with. The plant I believe is in the Madder family known as Rubi Aceare, Galium pilosum.
I also include a bonus image of the tiny flowers the plant produces.
Walt