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Pollen morphology of Melanoseris Decne. (Cichorieae-Asteraceae) from Pakistan and Western Himalayas and its taxonomic significance
  • ROOHI Abid,
  • M. Quaiser
ROOHI Abid
University of Karachi

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M. Quaiser
University of Karachi
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Abstract

Pollen morphological studies of 10 species and 3 varieties of Melanoseris Decne. (Cichorieae-Asteraceae) were conducted from Pakistan and Kashmir. Pollen were studied by using Light microscope, Fluorescent microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope. Pollen of seven taxa were examined for the first time including four endemic species to the study area. Pollen grains are usually isopolar, spheroidal to oblate-spheroidal, elliptic to rarely circular in equatorial view, hexagonal in polar view, trizonocolporate and echinolophate with 15 lacunae. Significant variation has been found mainly in the size of pollen, number of echinae and sculpturing of the polar area. Agglomerative cluster analysis based on the 14 pollen morphological characters, showed that diameter of polar and equatorial axis, pollen size and polar axis were the most valuable variables in explaining total variation and separating the studied taxa. All the examined taxa were grouped into two distinct pollen-types viz., Melanoseris alii – type and Melanoseris stewartii – type. Keys to the pollen types and species of each pollen type are provided. The correlation between the results of recent phylogenetic studies and the present palynological results are discussed.