The leaf surface is a dynamic landscape where tiny, specialized structures help plants interact with the world around them. Let’s bring this world into view! Join us for an exhibit that highlights the complex and often beautiful anatomy of leaves from the Matthaei collection. Plants throughout the conservatory will be paired with microscope photographs and micro-CT scans that illustrate the otherwise invisible structures that protect leaves from chewing insects, absorb (or repel!) water, and even recruit “bodyguards”. You won’t look at leaves the same way again! 

This project is a collaboration between MBGNA and the Weber and Vasconcelos labs in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, led by PhD student Rosemary Glos.