Silicone Oil as a Mounting Medium for Pollen Grains

Abstract

With the refinement of pollen analysis and with the need for more exact identifications, a number of special problems present themselves. Detailed comparative morphology becomes increasingly important and with it the requirements as to the properties of the embedding medium increase.

The problems of species identifications, especially, call for a comparison of the "coarseness" of morphological details. Hence it becomes desirable that the pollen exines to be studied are found in comparable states of expansion. Chemical treatments of various kinds are well known to modify the size of pollen grains greatly, but as will be shown below the qualities of the embedding media influence their immediate state too.