Rosie McCall, writing for Newsweek:
Scientists have studied the trichomes (or "cellular factories") of the cannabis plant in extreme detail, revealing that flowers with mushroom-shaped hairs are the most potent—both in terms of smell and cannabinoid content. […]
The valuable products of the cannabis plants are its metabolites (i.e. the cannabinoids and terpenes), which are amply produced in the glandular trichomes of the female flower—aka the "marijuana bud." These glandular trichomes come in three variations defined by their appearance—bulbous, sessile and stalked. However, until now, little was understood about how these different shapes affected the plant's chemical outputs.
To find out, the researchers developed a technique involving two-photon microscopy and intrinsic autofluorescence patterns. This allowed them to study the internal structures of different trichomes in a hemp variant called Finola.
This technique and these photos are absolutely incredible.