Pollen morphology of selected species of the subfamily Bombacoideae (Malvaceae sensu lato)

We analyzed the pollen grains of 11 species within the subfamily Bombacoideae. The pollen grains were acetolyzed, after which they were analyzed and photographed under light microscopy. Unacetolyzed pollen grains were analyzed and photomicrographed under scanning electron microscopy. We studied pollen characters such as shape, size, exine ornamentation and aperture type. The species were separated by a pollen key, which considers the presence or absence of "calotte" in the pollen grains. This attribute separated Ceiba and Eriotheca from the other genera. Some species are differentiated by specific characters: in Bombacopsis glabra and B. stenopetala, the sexine is rugulate or "vermiculate" with isolated pilate elements; in B. calophylla, the pollen grains are sinu-aperturate; Ceiba speciosa show atypical, duplicolumellate sexine; C. erianthos is the only species with 5-colporate pollen grains and a pentagonal amb; in Pachira aquatica the reticulum has muri with spiculaspinulose muri ("reticulum cristate"). The variation in the pollen morphology confirms the eurypalynous status of the genera studied here.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Abreu,Vanessa Holanda Righetti de, Mendonça,Claudia Barbieri Ferreira, Gonçalves-Esteves,Vania
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Sociedade Botânica do Brasil 2014
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-33062014000300007
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!