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POLLEN FLORA OF PAKISTAN – LXVII: ACANTHACEAE

ANJUM PERVEEN AND M. QAISER*

Abstract: Pollen morphology of 30 species of the family Acanthaceae belonging to 11 genera has been investigated  using light and scanning electron  microscope. Acanthaceae is a eurypalynous family. Pollen  are usually radially symmetrical, isopolar, sub-prolate to prolate rarely  prolate-spheroidal or sub-oblate to oblate-spheroidal, generally tricolporate or heterocolporate rarely colpate or  porate. Exine ornamentation varies from   medium to coarse reticulate, or often lopho-reticulate with luminae perforated to baculate or scabrate. On the basis of apertural type, exine ornamentation and colpal membrane eight distinct pollen types have been recognized viz., Pollen type-I: Barleria cristata-type, Pollen type-II: Blepharis ciliaris-type, Pollen type-III: Hygrophila polysperma – type, Pollen type-IV: Justicia adhatoda-type, Pollen type-V:Lepidagathis incurva-type, Pollen type-VI:Peristrophe paniculata-type, Pollen type-VII:Ruellia patula-type and Pollen type-VIII: Strobilanthes atropurpureus – type. Within the family pollen diversity is significant enough for delimiting the tribes, subtribes and genera. 
 

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

* Federal Urdu University Arts, Science and Technology, -Karachi, Pakistan