Pollia, impressing iridescent blue and structural colour- plants

[mindperformer]

A few weeks ago I came across this article:

http://earthsky.org/...eals-its-secret

This fruits with the allegedly deepest and most intense blue fascinated me so much that I've done more research on structural colours in the plant kingdom.

The metallic blue colour of the berries from Pollia- species does not came from pigments but is a result of the effects of Bragg reflection caused by helicoidally stacked cellulose microfibrils, like biological nanotechnology. Pollia japonica has the same effect as the described Pollia condensata, but is much more easier to get.

P. japonica (duruo, yabumyoga) is also regarded as medicinal plant in Asia for replenishing the kidneys, to treat back pain and injuries from knocks and falls.

Pollia japonica- seeds also have this effect:

Seed, 24-fold:

And some other species also have iridescent blue- structural colours; the most beautiful (mostly ferns and orchids):

Anthrophyum sp.,

Begonia burkillii, B. chlorosticta, B. edulis, B. 'Green Swirl', B. henryi, B. leathermaniae, B. luzhaiensis, B. pavonia, B. pedatifida, B. sizemoreae,

Cauliphyllum thalictroides,

Delarbrea michieana- fruits,

Diplazium crenatoserratum,

Elaeocarpus angustifolius, E. grandis- fruits,

Elaphoglossum herminieri, E. metallicum,

Mapania caudata,

Masdevallia caesia,

Microsorum siamensis, M. steerei syn. thailandicum,

Ophrys speculum- flowers,

Ravenala madagascariensis- seeds,

Selaginella erythropus, S. eublepharis, S. uncinata, S. wildenowii,

Stegolepis hitchcockii, S. ligulata,

Strobilanthes dyerianus,

Tetraphyllum rotundifoliatum

Chamaedorea metallica

Strongylodon macrobotrys

Beautiful pictures:

http://www.flickrive...ol/interesting/

Microsorum steerei syn. thailandicum and Selaginella uncinata are most easy to get, but Selaginella u. only gets the blue shine when its older.

Edited October 17, 2012 by mindperformer

[bogfrog]

wow, i couldn't believe my eyes looking at some of the pictures in that link!

thanks for sharing

[mindperformer]

me too ;-) ...this was a new area for me

[mindperformer]

Selaginella uncinata and other spikemosses have multilayers of cellulose laminae in the epidermal wall,

Microsorum thailandicum and other ferns have helicoidal multilayered cell walls,

Begonia pavonia and other Begonias have highly modified plastids containing multilayers (iridoplasts),

Pollia condensata and other Pollia species have helicoidally stacked cellulose microfibrils, so the reflected colour differs from cell to cell, as the layer thickness varies. Because the multilayers form with both helicoidicities, optical characterization reveals that the reflected light from every epidermal cell is polarized circularly (or helicoidal) either to the left or to the right, a feature that has never previously been observed in a single tissue.

Edited October 17, 2012 by mindperformer

[mindperformer]

I'm wondering if the blue colour of saltbush (Atriplex nummularia) also came from light diffraction by the salt crystals

...my saltbush- seeds are starting now :-)

Microsorum steerei is coming in a week or so, I will add Microscopic pictures from it

The Pollia japonica seeds take long to germinate. Some of them were GA3- treated and some scarificated with sand paper and soaked in warm water before.

I know somebody with kidney stones, so maybe Pollia can help, as it is known for replenishing the kidneys

Edited October 17, 2012 by mindperformer

[mindperformer]

In Microsorum membranifolium and M. scolopendria there were found high concentration of Ecdysteroids, which are promising as muscle growth accelerants.

[Wameron36]

Cool stuff.

Would the fruits from Dianella caerulea be similar to these?

[mindperformer]

Maybe, but for me they don't have this iridescent shine

yet they are also beautiful

[mindperformer]

The Microsorum thailandicum has arrived :-)

in daylight:

in its "rainforest-environment":

the microscopic pictures (24-fold):

as we can see there are small regular sheets of the twisted layers (for helical light refraction) which give the leaves the blue iridescent shine

[Anodyne]

Must...grow...begonias...

as we can see there are small regular sheets of the twisted layers (for helical light refraction) which give the leaves the blue iridescent shine

 

"helical light refraction" = polarisation? So if I look at one of these cool refractal structures through a polarising filter, the shiny blue surface would disappear?

Hmm... I feel an urge to don some polaroids and go find some ferns to look at. In the name of science, of course.

[mindperformer]

I have looked on the Microsorum t. through a polarizing filter and still saw the blue shine, so I don't think its simple polarization.

Although when I spinned the filter (other directions of polarisations) there was some weakening of the blue shine...

[mindperformer]

the iridescent blue from Microsorum and Pollia comes from cellulose strands, arranged in layers of twisting, arced helix shapes, which interact with each other to scatter light

[Anodyne]

Ah right, think I understand it better now - individual refracting layers which are twisted relative to each other, not a stack of layers which act together to twist light in a simple polarising way. Thanks for the picture and explanation. My fern-hunting plans can wait until the morning, then.

Edited October 26, 2012 by Anodyne

[mindperformer]

yes, I think the one picture can explain it better than many words

My fern-hunting plans can wait until the morning, then.

hehe, are there many ferns in your location?

[Anodyne]

hehe, are there many ferns in your location?

 

Not yet! But since this thread and a trip to the botanic garden's Fern House recently reminded me how awesome they are, I think I'll be collecting some soon. Love the selaginella - I only have one variety (uncinata maybe?) - it doesn't seem to have the shiny blue surface though.

[mindperformer]

I see ;-),

the Selaginellas only get blue when they are older, I've read

but of course not all Selaginella- species are blue after all, there is the famous Selaginella lepidophylla (False Rose of Jericho)

Edited October 28, 2012 by mindperformer

[mindperformer]

not really iridescent, but with a blue hint:

Artemisia absinthium, for the famous Absinthe (only the distilled essential oil from it without the bitter compounds):

Myrica gale (ancient conserving and possibly psychoactive beer- additive of the Germani):

...the filaments are not spidermites, but from near flowering poplars

Edited November 14, 2012 by mindperformer

[mindperformer]

More from Microsorum thailandicum:

a leaf-mutant:

microscopic, 24-times: