open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/55269

Pollen morphology of Rhododendron L. and related genera and its taxonomic significance

英語

Rhodoreae

2013

The Bangladesh Association of Plant Taxonomists

Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy

20(2)

185-199

Pollen grains of 40 taxa of Rhododendron L. and its closely related genera, Therorhodion L. and Menziesia Sm., were examined by means of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), or SEM alone. Pollen tetrads of R. japonicum, R. schlippenbachii, R. tsusiophyllum and M. pentandra were examined also withtransmission electron microscopy. In all the genera studied, 3-colporate, oblate tosuboblate pollen grains are arranged in tetrahedral tetrads. The apocolpial pollen wall is composed of the exine - well developed tectum, columellae, foot layer and endexine, and the intine. On the contrary, the septal exine is composed of fragmentary tectum, and the two foot layers of adjacent grains are sometimes connected by columellae and endexine. Among different infrageneric taxa only the subsect. Ledum (sect. & subgen. Rhododendron) was characterized by small sized pollen tetrads, higher 2f/D value and rugulate exine sculpture. The pollen morphological characteristics overlapped each other in all other taxa. Thus palynological features showed little usefulness in the infrageneric classification of Rhododendron, however, they gave additional support to the individualgeneric status of Menziesia and Tsusiophyllum, and the sister relationship between Rhododendron and Therorhodion.

学術雑誌論文

Version of Record

1028-2092

2224-7297