Microscope Slide Collections

Anatomy slide collection

The Anatomy microscope slide collection consists of stained sections of plant material permanently mounted onto microscope slides and stored in fire-resistant cabinets in the Jodrell Laboratory. With over 95,000 slides (counted in January 2000) covering a range of different plant parts, it is the largest collection of its type in existence. It includes sections of both vegetative (leaf, stem, root and wood) and floral material. Many of the earlier slides were prepared for the two volumes of Anatomy of the Dicotyledons (first edition published 1950, Oxford University Press). Subsequent slides are still actively being prepared for the ongoing book series Anatomy of the Monocotyledons, the current revision of Anatomy of the Dicotyledons, and other research projects. The entire collection is regularly used by staff, students and visitors, both for purposes of systematic research and for identification of plant fragments. It forms an important focus of Anatomical research at Kew, and is currently being databased.