I'm working on a project to create a library of pollen with known species (collected from flowers) to compare with unknown pollen (collected from hummingbirds).
In reading through the literature, it sounds like acetolysis is the preferred method for keeping slides of pollen long term. And that there is some risk of mildew if the pollen is not acetolyzed. This this true?
If possible, I'd like to use the fuchsine stain + jelly method to make our "known" slides, since our "unknown" samples from hummingbirds will be collected using that method. Does fuchsine/jelly for mounting on a slide (with cover slip and fingernail polish) work for long term slide libraries without risking mildew?
Acetolysis will remove cellulose, proteins and other organics - leaving just the sporopollenin-containing pollen walls intact. This "clears" the pollen so that you can see the wall structure and sculpture more readily, which aids in identification. Normally you need to spike the glycerine jelly with phenol to ensure no subsequent fungal growth. This is a known carcinogen so you may want to not use it and just be sure to seal your slides well with nail polish. SO there will be risk of glomalean growth, but, it the slides are sealed, in my experience they will last 20 to 30 years,
It is possible to preserve fresh pollen without acetolysis. You can use a Mowiol-Phenol-Mixture. Mowiol is a mounting medium for histology. If you like, you can add fuchsine or Safranin. This slides will also last 20-30 years.
It seems to me that it is a good way and I have heard about such information to save the slides. For me, I use the safranin and the glycerin, so make sure that I put it correctly and settle down. I put some paint on the sides.
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