Thiocarbohydrazide binding for botanical specimens for scanning electron microscopy: a modification

SUMMARY The ligand osmium binding technique utilizing thiocarbohydrazide has been a successful alternative to evaporation or sputter coating of botanical specimens. A modification to this technique is presented which we have found successful in our laboratory for the preparation of a variety of specimens. This technique permits an overall reduction in the quantity of osmium necessary to provide conductivity. Further, dehydration time and specimen handling is reduced by the complete chemical dehydration of the tissue utilizing 2‐2‐dimethoxypropane.