Cellulose Acetate Replication of Plant Surfaces for SEM

Abstract

Replicas of botanical surfaces are sometimes preferred for imaging in the SEM, instead of original surfaces, in cases where it is not possible or desirable, for a variety of reasons, to prepare originais using conventional techniques (chemical fixation followed by dehydration and critical point drying, freeze drying, or cryo-SEM). Samples may be rare (herbarium specimens), or impossible to bring into the lab for processing, and field replication may be the only alternative.