Close-up of water fern (Azolla) and duckweed ...

The image displays an overhead view of water ferns (Azolla) and duckweeds growing together in a pond, captured under two different lighting conditions: natural light and ultraviolet (UV-A) blacklight.

In the top half of the image, the plants appear greenish-brown under natural light. The ferns grow upright with their leaves facing towards the sun, while the duckweed floats on the water's surface, forming a thick mat that covers most of the pond.

The bottom half of the image displays the same area under 365 nm ultraviolet (UV-A) blacklight. Under this lighting condition, the plant pigments fluoresce, revealing an intricate network of red and blue hues across their leaves. The Azolla ferns emit a bright red fluorescence from their stems and leaf tips, while the duckweed emits a more subtle blue-green fluorescence that is only visible in certain areas.

The image was taken on November 12, 2024, at Bee Creek Park in College Station, Texas. – AI vision