A fluorophores-stained cross section of a leaf petiole or leaf stalk from a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) was examined utilizing widefield fluorescence microscopy to capture both secondary and autofluorescence emitted by the leaf tissues. The photomicrograph presented below reveals conducting tissues that transport nutrients and other materials to and from the leaf.

Incident light fluorescence microscopy is growing rapidly in importance as an investigational tool in the fields of medical and biological research. All photomicrographs in this gallery were taken with Olympus microscopes employing UIS optics and a PM-30 automatic camera system.

The specimen is a thin section of Japanese maple leaf that was stained with a flourophore containing FITC. Photomicrographs were recorded utilizing a UPL 10x fluorite objective coupled to a WBV dichroic filter combination. A 3.3x projection photo eyepiece was used to transfer light from the intermediate image plane to the photographic emulsion.

Long admired in Japan and also being native to China and Korea, the Japanese maple was introduced into England in 1820 and is now naturalized throughout North America. Prized as an exquisite ornamental tree, the Japanese maple has been cultivated into a myriad of varieties. Generally small to medium-sized, ranging from 6 to 25 feet in height, a smaller bonsai version grown in containers has also become popular. The Japanese maples' extensive use in landscaping can be attributed to its many attractive characteristics.

Depending upon the cultivated variety, the maple leaves can either be broad, flat and palm-shaped, or lacey. The tree's overall structure is manifest in a weeping pyramidal shape or that of an open vase. Some favored varieties grow by delicately intertwining and twisting branches. Moreover, the Japanese maple may be grown as a single-stemmed small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub. Many designers use the Japanese maple to a landscape's advantage during the winter months when its overall shape and bark lends interest to scenery. Cover the maple's structure in vivid colors, which may range from green in summer then change to vibrant yellow, bronze, orange, purple or a magnificent red in the fall, and you have a tree famed for its beauty. The double-winged fruits are called samaras and curve inward, forming an arch. The flowers of the Japanese maple are small, with color variations ranging from red to purple. Flowers spring into bloom with the new leaves in May and are especially noticeable in those varieties whose leaves are green in the spring. Japanese maple pollen is typically carried either on the wind or by bees.