Morphology of pollen grains of Weigela floribunda (Caprifoliaceae): application in taxonomy

The aim of this research was to provide detailed quantitative and qualitative characteristics on pollen grains of Weigela floribunda (Siebold & Zucc.) K. Koch (Caprifoliaceae) as applied for taxonomy. Pollen morphology of W. floribunda was studied using both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Pollen grains are 3-porate, rarely 4-porate, suboblate to spheroidal (P/E=0.80–1.05); in equatorial view elliptic or circular, in polar view circular or subcircular; medium- or large-sized (P=42.56–61.18 µm, E=42.56–66.50 µm). Pores are circular with distinct or indistinct margins and distinct annuli. Exine sculpture is echinate-microechinate-nanoechinate. Pollen grains of W. flori- bunda were analyzed for the first time in the present study.

Comparative palynomorphological study of two species in the valley of Zagoria, Gjirokastra, Albania

In this study there are demonstrated for the first time in albanian literature the palynomorphologic characteristics of two types of plants (Centaurea epirota and Viola epirota), collected in Zagoria valley, Gjirokastra region, in Albania. To carry out the study, light microscopy was used and it was concluded that the pollen grains of Centaurea epirota were 3 colporate, isopolar, with radial symmetry. In the polar view, the pollen grains have a circular triangular shape while in the equatorial view they have a compressed oval shape. Exine appeared scabrate. Viola epirota consisted of 3-4 colporate, sometimes even 5 colporate pollen grains. In the polar view, the pollen grains had a circular shape of 3 or 4 angles, sometimes even 5 angles while in the equatorial view they had an elliptical shape. Exine appeared granulate. To see the impact of ecological factor and the method of laboratory processing of pollen grains, the size of the new species studied was compared with the size of the pollen grains of Centaurea cyanus and Viola alba, Viola odorata and Viola arvensis, taken from the native literature.

Pollen morphology and availability of pollen and stigma in Syzygium (Myrtaceae)

The present study aimed to describe the pollen morphology in three species of Syzygium, to test pollen availability and stigma receptivity. The pollen was analyzed by light and scanning microscopy to show the detailed ornamentation of the pollen grains. Pollen availability was measured according to two protocols. Stigmatic receptivity was tested at different stages of flower development. There are differences among the pollen morphology for the species studied; when the polar and equatorial diameters are measured in the equatorial view of the pollen grains, it is observed that S. jambos is the largest species concerning the two values of the diameters, S. malaccense is the smallest species and S. aqueum, the largest species in relation to the polar diameter in the equatorial view. For the equatorial diameter in equatorial view, S. aqueum showed the smallest diameters and S. malaccense, the major diameters, but the two species overlap in the values of the measured diameters. There are variations in the number of apertures in the pollen grains. Alexander’s stain is more sensitive to estimate pollen availability and the species S. aqueum and S. jambos have the same schedules of pollen availability and stigma receptivity.

Morphology and Pollen Chemistry of Several Bee Forage Taxa of Family Rosaceae from Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

Pollen grains vary widely in pollen shape, size, aperture type and exine sculpture among the taxa and within the taxon, which make them taxonomically important. They also contain several proteins, lipids and vitamins which are essential for the growth and developments of developing bee larvae. Quantification of these chemical constituents is important for the dietary purposes of honey bees. The present study deals with the morphology and chemical constituents of hand-collected pollen from four bee forage plants viz. Prunus cerasoides D.Don, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Pyrus pashia Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don and Rosa brunonii Lindl. from Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand. The family represents a homogenous group with a tricolporate pollen aperture type in all the studied taxa. Pollen shape varied from sub-prolate to prolate-spheroidal with a smaller pollen size observed in Pyrus pashia (26.53±0.30 µm polar view and 24.20±1.04 µm equatorial view) and a larger one in Prunus persica (38.39±3.06 µm polar view and 36.41±1.34 µm equatorial view). Exine sculpture was psilate to striato-reticulate. Maximum crude protein (68.33±0.14 mg/g) and starch content (32.98±0.67 mg/g) were recorded in pollen of Prunus cerasoides and maximum free amino acid (13.78±0.71 mg/g) in Pyrus pashia. All chemical constituents were found to be significant except the amino acids which were non-significant at the 0.05* level. Results showed that pollen grains of these Rosaceous members contained high amount of crude protein and phenolic content as a bee food source for brood, which makes this family economically important.

Pollen morphology of Scorzonera (Asteraceae) in Turkey

The pollen morphology of 45 taxa belonging to 15 sections of the genus Scorzonera distributed in Turkey were studied with light and electron microscopies. The pollen is generally 3-zonocolporate. Pollen grains are oblate-spheroidal with the polar axes 23.2–59.2 µm and the equatorial axes 27–62.5 µm. The outline is more or less circular to slightly elliptic in equatorial view and triangular or obtuse-hexagonal in polar view; amb semiangular to intersemiangular. Sculpturing is echinolophate. The spines are commonly concave-conical with a broad basis, sides are straight or slightly convex with a subacute tapered apical portion. Numerical analysis showed that polar axes, equatorial axes and exine thickness are valuable variables for seperating the examined taxa.

A systematical study about the genus Lycopus L. (Labiatae) in Iraq

The study included gross morphology and pollen of plants – which collected during field trips , and dry ones for most specimen preserved with the Iraqi herbaria – related to the genus Lycopus L. , and to identify the unidentified species and rectify the error there in , so according to that the species L. europaeus L. only were specified for the genus . Through this work the varity L. europaeus var. glabrescens Schmidely were found at the first time , and suggested to record anew for Iraq . Pollen were of medium size, and had an ellipsoid shape in the equatorial view , and hexagonal in the polar view. The ecological and soil quality where these genus plants grows were specified , and were geographically distributed on natural Iraqi territories for each one .Plate was made from many pictures in addition to the map for geographical distribution.

Pollen morphology of Ligusticum (Apiaceae) in Canada

The pollen morphology of the four Canadian taxa of Ligusticum (L. calderi, L. canbyi, L. scothicum ssp. scothicum, and L. scothicum ssp. hultenii) was studied under the light microscope and compared with that of other Apiaceae common on the Pacific coast of British Columbia and adjacent Alaska. Ligusticum calderi and L. canbyi compose one pollen type with a subrhomboidal outline in equatorial view and a triangular outline in polar view with pores located at the apices of the amb. Endopores are X-, H-, or dumbbell-shaped. The L. scothicum type is rectangular in equatorial view and circular in polar view, with pores arranged on the circumference. Endopores are usually rectangular to oval. Ligusticum calderi pollen is larger and thus distinct from L. canbyi pollen. All other Apiaceae pollen types examined are distinct from the L. calderi type because their pores are positioned between the lobes of the amb and because of differences in other characters. Since L. calderi pollen is readily separated from other Apiaceae on the British Columbia coast, it can be used to study the history of this geographically restricted species and the possibly refugial species associated with it. The size differences between L. calderi and L. canbyi pollen suggest that they are distinct species.

Effects of a fungicide on the morphology and viability of pollens of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Effects of Agri Fos 400 (Mono and di-potassium phosphanate), a fungicide widely used on tomatoes grown in greenhouses in Turkey against Phytophthora infestans were studied on the morphology and viability of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) pollens. The fungicide was applied on tomato plants at recommended dosage (4 ml/l water) and double the recommended dosage (8 ml/l water). The fungicide caused changes in the morphological structures of pollens. Some pollen morphological structures that are not observed in the control group were encountered in the pollens due to application of Agri Fos 400 in equatorial view at 8 ml/l and in polar view at 4 ml/l. Level of pollen viability decreased as the dosage increased. Key words: Fungicide; Phytophthora infestans; Tomato; Pollen morphology; Viability DOI: 10.3329/bjb.v38i2.5134 Bangladesh J. Bot. 38(2): 115-118, 2009 (December)

Supposedly Colpate Pollen Grains from the Jurassic

Some Mesozoic spores and pollen grains claimed in a recent publication to exhibit angiosperm-like features are discussed. It is suggested that Poroplanites Pflug, is actually a trilete fern spore. The “ germinal apparatus ” of the Poroplanites type is simply an optical section of the characteristic folding of a lobe of a trilete spore, flattened along the polar axis and seen in equatorial view. It is shown that Pflug's Poroplanites type can be reproduced almost exactly in the trilete spores of a living tree fern. Classopollis Pflug, Circumpollis Pflug, and Canalopollis Pflug are pollen grains with distinct annular thickening, similar to the pollen grains of the Jurassic araucarian, Pagiophyllum connivens Kendall.