SEM IMAGE ANALYSIS
Robbie discusses some of the knowledge that emerged from the SEM images whereas some findings remain inconclusive but pose further questions.
SCALE AND UNITS
A basic SEM key
mag - magnification, shown on the image (electron micrograph) as a scale bar, used to work out the actual magnification of the image since it scales with the size of the image
WD - working distance between the sample and the lens
det ETD - Everhart -Thornley Detector (high vacuum mode)
HV (kV) - accelerating voltage for the electrons
HFW - horizontal field width
curr (pA) - beam current in picoampere
μm - micrometre
Unit of measurement
1/1000 m = 1 mm (milimetre)
1/1000 mm = 1 μm (micrometre)
1/1000 μm = 1 nm (nanometre)
SEED ACCESSION INFORMATION
Iris atropurpurea
YS 10/11 - 001
Critically Endangered
Israel
(without elaiosome)
Orothamnus zeyheri
RT 14 - 005
Vulnerable
South Africa
Protea cryophila
SHS 15 - 005
Near Threatened
South Africa
Spatalla nubicola
BMR 17 - 045
Near Threatened
South Africa
Seed accession category used by Robbie-Blackhall-Miles. The letters signify the collector:
RT Robbie Thomas
BMR Robbie Blackhall-Miles and Ben Ram
SHS Rod and Rachel Saunders of Silverhill Seeds
YS Yuval Sapir of Tel Aviv Botanic Gardens
The number following is the year of collection i.e.10 is 2010. The third and final lot of numbers is the accession from that collector i.e. RT14-002 is Robbie Thomas collected in 2014 and it was the second lot of seeds that came into collection from him from that year.
When Robbie sows the seeds they are given a individual batch number ie. BMR17-045.01 and when a seedling germinates it is given a individual code i.e. BMR17-045.01.01 which will stay with it for the rest of its life and allows him to track its progress.
Mimetes argenteus (with elaiosome)
RT 14 - 002
Endangered
South Africa