Simplest Plant
At first glance, the bulb-like shapes in this image may seem like a granulated gold brooch, but these are actually modified leaves or “water sacs” that are often home to aquatic microorganisms called rotifers .
Captured by Susan Tremblay of UC Berkeley, the Liverwort (Lepidolaena taylorii) is a non-vascular rootless plant that’s been around about a hundred million years, making it one of most primitive form of plants. In fact, it’s often referred to as the “simplest plant.”
This image of the small aquatic plant is one of several award-winning photographs in the 2015 Nikon microscopy contest.
Reference:
http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/entry/2015-photomicrography-competition/32
#botanics #plants
Beautiful. But only 100 million years old? Surprisingly young, for one of the most primitive extant plant forms. Although evolution is big on obsolescence...
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