Pollen grains of 20 taxa from two genera of the Liliaceae were examined and compared by LM (light microscope), SEM (scanning electron microscope) and pollens of four taxa were also examined with TEM (transmission electron microscope). Pollen grains shed as monads.
IntroductionThe Liliaceae contains approximately 250 genera and 3500 species. There are approximately 400 Liliaceous species in Turkey and it is one of the richest families. According to recent studies, 49 taxa of Fritillaria and 13 taxa of Asparagus are available in Turkey. The endemism ratio is 36.53% in Fritillaria and 23% in Asparagus. These genera have economic and pharmaceutical importance (Davis et al. 1984, 1988, Seçmen et al. 1998, Güvenç 1996, Guner et al. 2000. No detailed palynological studies have been found concerning these genera except for the LM studies by Radulescu (1973) and Schulze (1980Schulze ( , 1982; by Gori (1982), El-Ghazali (1993), Kosenko (1991aKosenko ( , 1991bKosenko ( , 1992Kosenko ( , 1999 and SEM and TEM studies. Among monocotyledones plants, the Liliaceae family is a difficult group due to taxonomical and systematic reasons. Some authors explained that the comparative study of pollen morphology of the whole Liliaceae by SEM and TEM hasn't been studied in detail yet (Zavada 1983, Doyle and Hotton 1991, Kosenko 1999a. In order to obtain more morphological data to solve some of these problems, the pollen grains of 20 taxa were comparatively examined in detail for the first time.
Pollen grains of 16 taxa of Allium L. belonging to sections Rhizirideum G. Don ex Koch., Codonoprasum Reichb. and Allium L. were investigated using light and scanning electron microscope, and pollens of four taxa were also examined with transmission electron microscope. Pollens were monosulcate and ellipsoidal. It was observed that the sulcus extends from distal to proximal in all taxa. The exine was semitectate and the tectum was perforate. Columellae were simplicolumellate. Exine sculpture was striate-perforate, striate-rugulate-perforate and rugulate-perforate. A. albidum Fischer ex Bieb. subsp. caucasicum (Regel) Stearn, A. rupicola Boiss ex Mouterde and A. asperiflorum Miscz. were seen to have an operculum. Key words: Allium; Codonoprasum; Rhizirideum; Alliaceae; Pollen morphology; Turkey DOI: 10.3329/bjb.v39i1.5524Bangladesh J. Bot. 39(1): 37-36, 2010 (June)
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