| Id | 99 |
| Identification Type | Plant |
| Name | Phytolith |
| Distinguishing Features | Isotropic
Transparent |
| Description | Phytoliths are literally “plant stones”, and can include deposits of amorphous silica or calcium oxylate. For purposes of this site, we will be considering deposits of amorphous silica, deposited as secondary cell walls within plants. Grasses are the source of most of the phytoliths found on smear slides, however sedges, cattails, and horsetail are also prolific producers of phytoliths. The cell walls are three-dimensional bodies, only two of which are easily seen in bright field microscopy. Phytoliths will appear as transparent to translucent isotropic shapes, including circular, oval, cylindrical, dendritic, rectangular, triangular, or lobed.
Phytoliths, like other solid amorphous silica components, can appear purplish in plane polarized light. Nonpleochroic, isotropic. Moderate relief. |
| Tags | colorless purplish dendritic circular triangular lobed |
| External Resources | |
| Imposters | |
| Images |
116 Church Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
P: 612-626-7889
