To diagnose a defect that affects postharvest life and quality in Gerbera jamesonii flowers (Gerbera daisies), a study of the water transport system in the cut flower stem is being conducted. This photo was taken of the Gerbera variety Solero, and is of a 30 micron stem cross-section that was cut on a sliding microtome. The sample was stained with toluidine blue to differentiate the xylem tissue from other plant structures. The sample was viewed under a Leica DM1000 laboratory microscope (Leica Microsystems, Bannockburn, IL, USA) with the 10x objective, and photographed with a Retiga 2000R scientific camera (QImaging, Surrey, BC, Canada).