In botany, SEM enables imaging of leaf stomata and trichomes, pollen exine ornamentation, pollen germination and pollination, plant–insect interfaces, and wood tracheids and pit membranes. Its low-vacuum mode and backscattered electron imaging allow fresh or hydrated plant samples to be imaged rapidly without complex fixation, drying, or coating. With simple sample preparation and low operational requirements, it suits plant morphology, taxonomy, and reproductive biology research in universities and institutes, as well as routine observation and outreach in agricultural breeding, wood science, and botany teaching.
