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POLLEN MORPHOLOGY OF THE FAMILY CRASSULACEAE FROM PAKISTAN AND KASHMIR AND ITS TAXONOMIC IMPLICATIONS

MUHAMMAD QAISER, ANJUM PERVEEN AND GHULAM RASOOL SARWAR

Abstract: Pollen morphology of 28 species representing 9 genera viz., Bryophyllum, Kalanchoe, Pseudosedum, Rhodiola, Rosularia, Hylotelephium, Sedum, Tillaea and Orostachys of the family Crassulaceae from Pakistan has been studied by light and scanning electron microscope. Pollen grains are usually free, radially symmetrical, isopolar, sub-oblate to oblate-spheroidal, or prolate–spheroidal to subprolate often prolate and tricolporate. Tectum mostly striate-rugulate or sub-psilate rarely reticulate-rugulate. Significant variation is found in shape and exine ornamentation and on the basis these characters family has been divided into three pollen types’ viz., Rhodiola sinuata–type, Rosularia viguieri–type and Sedum hispanicum–type. Numerical analysis of based on pollen characters of 28 species was also carried out to determine the phylogenetic relationships of various genera and the species of the family Crassulaceae.

Key words: Crassulaceae, Eurapalynous, Exine ornamentation and Pollen shape.

Centre for Plant Conservation, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan