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POLLEN FWRA OF PAKISTAN - IV. BORAGINACEAE

ANJUM PERVEEN, UMER SHAHEEN QURESHI AND M. QAISER

Abstract: Pollen morphology of 49 species representing 20 genera of family Boraginaceae from Pakistan has been cxamined by light and scanning electron microscope. Boraginaceae is a eurypalynous family and pollen morphology of the family is significantly important at tribal and subfamiliallevel, such as the tribes Edtrichicae and Cynoglosseae of subfamily Boraginoideae and subfamily Heliotropioideae,. respectively, are characterized by heterocolpate pollen which is rare in angiosperm. However, in the other tribes of subfamily Boraginoideae (Trigonotideae and Lithospermeae except Myosotis) and subfamily Ehretioideae have homoapcrturate pollen (colpate, colporate), ora mostly endocingulate, elliptic-rectangular in equatorial view, with or without constriction at the equator, circular or hexagonal in polar view. Tectum usually psilate or sub-psilate. However, combination of other tectum types i.e., reticulate-rugulate, fossulate or foveolate are also found. On the basis of size, shape, apertural configuration and exine sculpturing 11distinct pollen types viz., Anchusa arvensis - type, Amebia benthamii - type, Buglossoides arvensis - type, Ehretia obrusifolia - type, Gastrocotyle hispida - type, Heliolropium subulalum - type, Undelojia longilfora - type, Nonea caspicatype, Onosma hispida - type, Sericosloma pauciJIofUm - type, Trichodesma indicum - type are recognized.

Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi - 75270, Pakistan.