Seed shape, surface cells shape, arrangement, anticlinal wall pattern, and periclinal wall protuberances were recorded for nine species of Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) using scanning electron microscopy to determine the importance of seed morphological characters as an additional tool for identification. Most of the seeds were found ovate and some seeds were elliptic and cuboid in shape. Almost reticulate regular seed surface patterns were observed. Four types of surface cells were examined; diamond, elliptic, oblong, and irregular. Majority of the seeds showed raised anticlinal wall level and diversity from wavy to puzzle in pattern. Periclinal wall may be glabrous or having protuberances that were rhombus and bullate in shape. Both macro-and micromorphological characters can provide basis for classification and delimitation of genus Eucalyptus. Research highlights• Seeds quantitative characters of nine Eucalyptus species as seed length, width, and weight.• Macromorphological characters of seeds including seed color, helium position, and seed shape.• Micromorphological characters include seed surface, periclinal wall, and anticlinal wall investigation under scanning electron microscope.• Ultra-seed sculpturing features as an additional tool in identification. K E Y W O R D S eucalyptus, micromorphology, Myrtaceae, seed, SEM

The pollen morphology of 11 salt tolerant plant species of family Amaranthaceae from the salt range of Northern Punjab, Pakistan has been studied. The palyno‐morphological characters were examined using light and scanning electron microscope. The examined all salt tolerant species have a slight difference in size but have similarity in shape, pore ornamentation, and polarity. The observed morphological characters of pollen grains were pollen symmetry, size, shape, pore ornamentation, pore size, number of pores, exine thickness, polar and equatorial diameter and, P/E ratio. Apolar type of pollens has been observed in all species. Shape of pollens was spheroidal. Exine sculpturing of pollen grains was scabrate (six spp), microechinate (four spp), and microechinate‐scabrate (one spp). Different pori numbers were observed in different species. The pantoporate aperturate and sunken pore ornamentation have been reported in all species. A pollen taxonomic key was developed using examined morphological characters for the accurate identification of halophytic taxa. The high fertility and low sterility of pollens confirmed that the selected halophytes are well‐established in the salt region. The findings highlight the taxonomic significance of pollen morphology in correct identification and differentiation of salt tolerant plant species.

The morphology of pollen grains of the 06 species of tribe Acacieae (Mimosaceae) belonging to one genus were investigated using scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and light microscopic (LM) approach. Lactic acid acetolysis method was used for (LM) while non‐acetolysis for (SEM). The species were examined for the both qualitative and quantitative palynological features. Qualitatively the pollen was studied for the shape, exine sculpturing, pollen shape, and pollen type. Oblate spheroidal shape of pollen was observed in Accacia modesta. Subprolate shape in Accaca nilotica. In Accacia farnesiana, prolate pollen was examined while prolate spheroidal in Acacia tortilis and spheroidal pollen grains were studied in Acacia catechu, respectively. Pollen exine sculpturing of the studied tribe possesses novel variation. Foveolate, reticulate, foveolate‐psilate, faint reticulate, fossulate, perforate, and scrabate exine sculpturing were noticed. Colpi were absent in all species. Excessive variation was observed in both qualitative and quantitative character of pollen. SPSS software was use for the quantitative measurement of the pollen grains. The current study will be helpful for the identification of the problematic species and phylogenetic studies of family Mimosaceae.

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Pollen micromorphology is not only used to check the functional and structural evolution in plants but also to solve the taxonomic problem related to the classification of plants. Therefore, keeping in view the significance of pollen traits, selected taxa of the subfamily Caesalpiniaceae was collected from different geographical regions of Pakistan. The species were then analyzed under both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques to investigate the importance of micromorphological characters of pollen in the identification and classification of species. Great variation was recorded in equatorial shape, surface ornamentation, tectum, polar diameter, equatorial diameter, and exine thickness. However, little variation was observed in pollen type, polar shape, and fertility of pollen. The equatorial shape of five types was observed: prolate, prolate‐spheroidal, spheroidal‐subprolate, subspheroidal‐prolate, and subspheroidal. Four types of surface ornamentation, psilate, granulate, clavate, and perforate, were recorded. Tectum of five types, intactate, reticulate regulate, medium reticulate, tactate, and striate, was observed. Sexine was thicker than nexine in all studied species. The largest polar diameter was observed in Caesalpinia pulcherrima 64.1 μm while the smallest in Parkinsonia aculeata 26.1 μm. The largest equatorial diameter was found in C. pulcherrima of 70.25 μm whereas the smallest in P. aculeata 27.57 μm. All the pollens analyzed were tricolporate. All studied species have a fertility ratio of more than 90%. A taxonomic key was developed to show the variation in pollen features and delimit species for the correct identification. In conclusion, the pollen traits were found useful to define species boundaries at various taxonomic ranks and will strengthen the taxonomy of this subfamily. Besides, this study also explored the palynological traits and their implication in the taxonomy of the subfamily Caesalpiniaceae.

Current research carried out in Pakistan is the first report on spermoderm ornamentation of eight species of tribe Acacieae (Mimosoidae) by using scanning electron microscopic techniques representing two genera, Fedherbia and Acacia were examined. Different spermoderm ornamentation were observed, described and discussed for their taxonomic importance. Seeds surfaces of the studied tribe possess novel variations in macro and micro morphology. Great variations were observed in both qualitative and quantitative characters of seeds. Seeds shape was oblong, ovate to elliptical and spermoderm ornamentation was levigate, rugose, polygonal and discoid, colliculate, and papillose type. These variations in the spermoderm ornamentation can be used as an aid in identification and classification of the members of tribe Acacieae.

The present study is conducted in two sweet homes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan i.e. Sweet Home of Peshawar and Sweet Home of Abbottabad. The nature of the study was quantitative and a close-ended questionnaire was used as a tool of data collection for collecting information from the sample size of 134 respondents selected through the proportional allocation method. The association was tabulated through the application of Chi-Square test statistics to ascertain the association between the dependent and independent variables. Study findings revealed a significant association (P?0.05) of an index of various socio-economic problems of orphans with the statements such as children at sweet home is routinely harassed; adult children physically abuse younger children in the sweet home, etc. with the dependent variable i.e. protection aspects of orphanages. The government and staff should provide an environment free of harassment, abuse, stress, and anxiety, foster mother at sweet home should be advised to treat children like her biological one, the staff should understand children’s method of learning, organize exercises were some of the recommendations forwarded in the light of study findings.

Seed micromorphological and macromorphological characteristics of 12 taxa of Caesalpiniaceae from Pakistan have been studied, using light and scanning electron microscopy, to investigate the importance of seed coat features as a taxonomic tool. Great variations have been observed in color, shape, dimension, and seed surface pattern among the different genera of the family. A taxonomic key was prepared for the studied taxa. Six types of seed shapes were observed; circular, elliptical, irregular, oblong, oval, and ovoid. All examined seeds were hard except fragile seeds of Haematoxylom campechianum. Eight types of surface ornamentation have been noticed that include levigate, lugose, papillate, reticulate, reticulate irregular, reticulate regular, rhombus, and rogues. Majority of the taxa has been observed with thick ornamentation wall but thin ornamentation wall has also been recorded in few species. Fracture line of the various patterns was present in all taxa except genus Bauhinia. Three types of texture crudeness; coarse, medium, and fine have been recorded. Both micromorphological and macromorphological characters of seed are very fruitful in identification and classification of Caesalpiniaceae.