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Pak. J. Bot., 42(4): 2205-2214, 2010.

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Updated: 09-12-10

SYSTEMATIC IMPLICATIONS OF POLLEN MORPHOLOGY IN THE FAMILY MALVACEAE FROM NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE, PAKISTAN

NOREEN BIBI^1*, NAVEED AKHTAR², MANZOOR HUSSAIN³ AND MIR AJAB KHAN⁴

Abstract: Pollen morphology of 9 species belonging to 6 genera viz., Abelmoschus, Abutilon, Alcea, Malva, Malvaviscous and Malvastrum of the family Malvaceae from North West Frontier Province, Pakistan were examined by light and Scanning Electron Microscope. Pollen grains are generally radially symmetrical, apolar, mostly spherical to oblate-spheroidal and poly pantoporate. Tectum uniformly echinate, medium to finely perforated or punctuate with granules or scabrae in between spines. The results demonstrated that pollen morphological characteristics, principally spine base, spine apex, spinular morphology, aperture characters, exine sculpture and structure are taxonomically important. However some of the genera studied were found to be stenopalynous thus limiting the value of taxonomic application of their pollen characters.

¹Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Biology Faisalabad,

² Department of Botany Govt. Postgraduate College, Abbottabad,

³Department of Botany, University of Peshawar,

⁴Department of Biological Sciences, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan 

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