Venus Fly Trap
I had no idea that the Venus Fly Trap even had pollen!
Ah... so that's what's been causing my sneezing-itchy eyes-sinus headaches this spring! Oh well, personal sacrifices must be made... you won't catch me cutting back on the amazing array of garden lovelies anytime soon just to lessen the pollen count. I find it strangely comforting, too... to see how incredibly complex and beautiful these little stinkers actually are.
Lily
Lilies are the worse offenders for me, but aren't they lovely little pieces of "art" pollen? They look like blushed cowrie shells. It's amazing how many complex shapes like this are repeated throughout nature.
Acanthus
This is incredible! Acanthus is one of my favorite leaves... often replicated in Gothic architectural ornaments. This amazing structure is my hands-down favorite. My neighbor has an acanthus plant... perhaps she will let me sniff some of this Gothic glory. If you're going to have a sinus headache and the sniffles anyway, it might as well be from something exotic, right?
Geranium
Willow among flower petals
Silver Leaf Tree
Aren't these great? They look so familiar, too... from a 1950's dinette set perhaps? "Boomerang" design to perfection!
Mallow
The spines of the mallow flower pollen help it cling to birds' feathers.
Ouch.
Ouch.
Silk Tree
So luminescent, it is reminiscent of actual silk, isn't it? I'm not familiar with this tree, but the pollen sure lives up to the name!
Water Lettuce
Alder Tree
The alder and birch (below) are related. These remind me of deflated mushroom (fungus) "puffballs." Again, I wonder how many plants and sea creatures share this basic shape?
The alder and birch (below) are related. These remind me of deflated mushroom (fungus) "puffballs." Again, I wonder how many plants and sea creatures share this basic shape?
Birch Tree
Forget-Me-Not flower
Below is a detail of the wonderful little blue grains...
The forget-me-not has one of the smallest known grains of pollen -
each grain is only five one-thousandths of a millimeter in diameter.Below is a detail of the wonderful little blue grains...
Forget-Me-Not flower - detail
This is such an incredible picture. The detail and luminosity of these minuscule grains is amazing.
And don't they look lovely, nestled on this flower petal that looks like vintage ruched velvet! Yep, that must be what the photographer had in mind - fancy double chevron beads on vintage ruched velvet!
And don't they look lovely, nestled on this flower petal that looks like vintage ruched velvet! Yep, that must be what the photographer had in mind - fancy double chevron beads on vintage ruched velvet!
Credits: All photos were taken by Martin Oeggerli; copyright Micronaut/Caters.
So incredible ... as if viewing a whole different planet. The images are rather calming ... perhaps psychologists could use them for therapy. Now wouldn't that be a wonder!
ReplyDeleteI got here from Tattered Gold, and so glad I did. Your images are startling and truly make me wonder. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteVery cool... The alder looks like it has a face!
ReplyDeleteWay cool post! What wonderful photos! And to think, such beautiful teeny tiny things can cause so many people so much trouble.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great blog, i have signed up to follow you.
Wow--where did you find these! How wonderful! These photos just fill my eyes--as do my allergies. (Grin) AAaaachoooie!
ReplyDeleteThe forgetmenot is just gorgeous. Isn't it amazing that there is such beauty on such a tiny level? And then even tinier than that???? Our Creator is SO creative.
ReplyDelete