Capsella bursa-pastoris Flower Under the Microscope
Capsella bursa-pastoris Flower (Whole Mount), Capsella bursa-pastoris
This is a whole flower of shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) mounted on a slide and stained green. Its small flower shows all four floral parts clearly, which makes it great for learning flower anatomy.
A whole mount of a shepherd's purse flower (Capsella bursa-pastoris W.M.) stained green, revealing the floral organs typical of the family Brassicaceae. At the pedicel apex sits a superior ovary within a central bicarpellary syncarpous pistil, flanked by tetradynamous stamens consisting of filaments and pollen-bearing anthers. Surrounding the reproductive structures are floral whorls composed of thin petals and protective sepals. The delicate parenchymatous tissue and vascular strands extending through the floral receptacle and pedicel remain clearly visible in whole mount preparation.
What to look for
- Sepals: Small outer leaf-like parts at the base of the flower.
- Petals: Thin, delicate parts just inside the sepals.
- Stamens: Thin stalks (filaments) topped with anthers that hold pollen; in the mustard family there are usually six, four long and two short.
- Pistil and ovary: The central female part, with the ovary at its base.
- Pedicel: The small stalk holding the flower, with vascular strands running up into it.
At each magnification
Low power (about 4x)
The whole flower on its stalk with the floral parts arranged in rings.
Medium power (about 10x)
Stamens with anthers around the central pistil.
High power (about 40x)
Anther detail and the thin cells of petals and sepals.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a flower under a microscope?
A flower has sepals on the outside, petals inside those, stamens (the male parts, made of filaments and anthers), and a pistil in the center (the female part, with an ovary at its base). A small flower like shepherd's purse shows all of these in one view.
Why is shepherd's purse used in botany classes?
Shepherd's purse is a small, common weed in the mustard family. Its flowers and developing seeds are classic teaching specimens because their structures are simple and easy to see on slides.
- Category
- Botany & Plants
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Fast Green
- Tags
- Capsella bursa-pastoris flower, Capsella bursa-pastoris, shepherd's purse, flower whole mount, floral anatomy, Brassicaceae
Viewing this slide in class
This is a scan of a real prepared slide, not a simulation or a drawing. On StudyScope you can pan from the whole slide down to individual structures, always in focus, and measure them in real micrometers with the calibrated ruler. Present it live and every student screen follows your view and annotations. Students join with a room code on Chromebooks, iPads, or any browser, with no accounts.