POLLEN ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE TRIBE INGEAE (MIMOSOIDEAE: LEGUMINOSAE)

All genera within the Ingeae, excluding Wallaceodendron, were examined with the transmission electron microscope. Thin sections reveal two pollen types (Types I and II) distinguished primarily by differences in polyad cohesion and ektexine organization. Type I polyads (only eight-grained species of Calliandra) are calymmate and the ektexine of individual cells is continuous around the grain, organized into a thin, foraminate tectum, irregularly shaped, often basally flared, foraminate columellae and thin, discontinuous foot layer. Type II polyads (16-grained species of Calliandra and remaining Ingeae) are predominantly acalymmate with individual grains typically free from one another or rarely, partially calymmate, i.e., individual grains show limited forms of attachment through small endexinous bridges (Pithecellobium latifolium [Zygia], Lysiloma) or localized appression of adjacent endexines (Pithecellobium daulense [Cathormion]). The adhesion of individual grains through localized fusion of lateral-distal and proximal ektexine in Enterolobium is unique among the partially calymmate Type II polyads. Ektexine in Type II polyads, largely restricted to the distal face, is composed of a thick, channeled tectum, granular interstitium and when present, thin discontinuous foot layer. Lateral-distal and proximal areas exhibit only endexine and, occasionally, a foot layer. The occurrence of nondistal ektexine is restricted to Enterolobium. The pollen data suggest that the acalymmate Ingeae polyads composed of grains with porate apertures, thick, highly channeled tectum, granular interstitium and lack of, or greatly reduced foot layer, are clearly derived within the Mimosoideae. Type I calymmate polyads appear to be independently derived. Ultrastructural data suggest that the Ingeae, excluding the eight-grained Calliandra species, represent a natural grouping with a close affinity to the Acacieae.     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF EXINE-LESS POLLEN: HELICONIA (HELICONIACEAE)

Pollen of Heliconia and many of its relatives in the Zingiberales is virtually devoid of a conspicuous, protective exine. The exine is relegated to a few spinules and a thin, electron-dense layer (0.08 μm), whereas the intine can be up to 100 times as thick (8 μm) and structurally complex. Comparative ultrastructural observations on the sporoderm and protoplast are presented for three species and discussion focuses on the possible adaptive significance of the elaborated intine and its potential usefulness in systematic studies.     

ULTRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEXINE AND INTINE IN THE POLLEN WALL OF SILENE ALBA (CARYOPHYLLACEAE)

Nexine and intine development in Silene alba (Caryophyllaceae) was investigated by electron microscopy and enzyme cytochemistry. Nexine-2 forms by deposition of sporopollenin along unit membrane lamellae closely associated with the microspore plasma membrane in the late tetrad stage. After the callose wall dissolves, electron density increases along the tangentially oriented fibers of the proximal primexine, forming nexine-1. When the exine is essentially complete, the intine begins to develop. In the nearly mature microspore, acid phosphatase activity appears in the peripheral cytoplasm just prior to its extrusion into the intine of the mature pollen grain.     

THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF IN SITU CLAVATIPOLLENITES POLLEN FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS OF PATAGONIA

Small dispersed anther contents of Clavalipollenites grains are reported from the Early Cretaceous (early Aptian) of Patagonia. This report represents the first documentation of in situ grains of this type from the Southern Hemisphere. The anthers are small (0.6 mm long × 0.25 mm wide); no tissues of the androecium are preserved nor is there any indication of how the sacs were attached. Some grains are still in tetrads and closely associated with numerous orbicules and tapetal membranes. Grains are 18–22 μm long and up to 15 μm wide. The exine consists of an inner homogeneous nexine that supports narrow columellae below a perforate tectum. The mature pollen wall includes uniform microgranules that ornament the muri. The chloranthaceous affinities of these Gondwana pollen sacs are established and the grains are compared with specimens recovered from slightly older or coeval sediments from the Northern Hemisphere. The discovery of these pollen sacs from Patagonia expands our understanding of early angiosperm biogeography.     

木通科、大血藤科花粉壁的超微结构研究

应用透射电子显微镜(TEM)观察了木通科Decaisnea,Sinofr-anchetia,Holboellia,Stauntonia属以及大血藤科Sargentodoxa属共18种植物花粉壁的超微结构。所观察的木通科和大血藤科植物具较发达的覆盖层和柱状层;外壁内层以及内壁均在萌发沟处明显增厚;基层通常不甚发达。与扫描特征相对应的覆盖层结构特征,显示出类群的特异性。在Stauntonia属,覆盖层富于形态变化,反映出该属在木通科中较进化的地位;大血藤(Sarg-entodoxa cuneata)花粉壁结构隶属木通型花粉结构,表明大血藤科与木通科的密切关系。     

紫萼花粉粒和花粉管中微丝的超微结构

用常规化学固定和化学固定前用鬼笔环肽处理两种电镜样品制作技术,分别研究了紫萼[Hosta venteicosa (=H.coerulea]成熟花粉粒和幼花粉管中的微丝的超微结构。结果表明,在常规电镜固定中花粉粒中的微丝能保存,但在花粉管中的则遭受破坏。用鬼笔环肽处理后化学固定的方法,微丝在花粉管中能良好地保存。在花粉粒中平行的微丝形成束,表现为具分布的特点,即限于分布在它们功能的区域,并且微丝束经常紧密地与营养核贴近。在幼花粉管中微丝束表现为在线粒体、质体、内质网、小泡和小液泡的表面通过,并常常与脂体紧密联结。这些现象表明在花粉萌发和花粉管生长时,微丝与营养核及与其它细胞器的运动之间存在某些联系的迹象。     

扁豆花粉发育的超微结构

用透射电镜对扁豆ＤｏｌｉｃｈｏｓｌａｂｌａｂＬ．的小孢子发生和雄配子体形成过程进行了观察。首次观察到扁豆花粉发育过程中,其质体与线粒体去分化、再分化发生于整个花粉发育过程中,并经历了两个去分化和再分化的周期。     

POLLEN WALL ULTRASTRUCTURE OF SELECTED DISPERSED MONOSULCATE POLLEN FROM THE CENOMANIAN,DAKOTA FORMATION,OF CENTRAL USA

Seven dispersed monosulcate pollen taxa from the Dakota Formation of Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas were examined ultrastructurally. Rugubivesiculites rugosus has gymnosperm affinities based on its anasulcate aperture and the presence and nature of the formation of sacci. Stellatopollis sp. has exine sculpturing restricted to taxa with angiosperm affinities and is monosulcate. The affinities of the other five monosulcate taxa are uncertain and the exines are tectategranular. The sulcus in many of the remaining five taxa are flanked by small flange-like sacci. These five taxa have features found in gymnosperms and also some features of primitive extant angiosperms. The combination of characters of the pollen types presented here does not entirely agree with our current concept of primitive pollen characters as understood from extant ranalean angiosperms.     

POLLEN MORPHOLOGY AND ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE CABOMBACEAE: CORRELATIONS WITH POLLINATION BIOLOGY

Of all species comprising the two genera of the Cabombaceae, only Brasenia schreberi J. F. Gmel. and Cabomba caroliniana Gray have been critically investigated with regard to their pollination biology. Brasenia schreberi has been shown to be anemophilous, while C. caroliniana has an entomophilous (myophilous) pollination syndrome. In the present paper, a number of pollen and pollen-related characters, including pollen size, shape, quantity, terminal settling velocity, pollen-ovule ratios, and overall exine architecture of B. schreberi and C. caroliniana are evaluated. Pollen from both species is elliptic, monosulcate, and has a tectate-columellate sporoderm with supratectal surface ornamentation. Grains of B. schreberi are small, produced in copious amounts, and settle relatively slowly. Flowers of this species have large pollen-ovule ratios. The exine of B. schreberi pollen is scabrate, relatively thin, has a uniformly thick sexine composed of a two-zoned (homogeneous/granular) tectum and distinct columellae, and a homogeneous nexine. Pollen of C. caroliniana is relatively large, produced in small quantities, and has a rapid terminal settling velocity. Flowers exhibit small pollen-ovule ratios. Exine organization of C. caroliniana pollen is typically two times thicker than that of B. schreberi; ornamentation is striate. Nonapertural sexine regions have a thick tectum and well-defined columellae, with both sexine components traversed by a dense system of channels. The nexine is relatively thin. All of the palynological characters examined correlate well with the anemophilous and entomophilous syndromes of B. schreberi and C. caroliniana, respectively. Moreover, several other parameters of exine ultrastructure from each species exhibit positive correlations with the respective pollination mechanisms, including: tectum thickness, columellae diameter, tectum-nexine ratios, and the consistency, distribution, and total amount of pollenkitt present. Overall exine ultrastructure is also discussed from a historical perspective as well as with respect to its phylogenetic significance.     

PALYNOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICS OF CUPHEA (LYTHRACEAE). I. MORPHOLOGY AND ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE POLLEN WALL

A survey of pollen from 153 species of Cuphea has revealed a remarkable array of morphological forms. The survey involved light and electron microscope investigations of C. crassiflora, jorullensis, and koehneana to determine details of exine morphology, and a more general study of pollen from an additional 150 species. Comparison of pollen types within a single morphological category and within taxonomic groups (i.e., sections or subsections) indicates considerable variation at subgeneric levels. The genus is distinctly eurypalynous, and the extent to which pollen varies among the sections, subsections, species and varieties is probably exceeded by few genera of comparable size. The pollen is also variable within each taxon, but size studies of single-anther lactic acid preparations demonstrate the genus is not polymorphic, as in Lythrum, where pollen polymorphism is associated with heterostyly. The latter phenomenon is as yet unknown in Cuphea. These results reveal that pollen morphology constitutes an important and useful character for taxonomic studies of Cuphea.     

杉木花粉母细胞减数分裂前期联会复合体的超微结构

应用透射电子显微镜观察了杉木花粉母细胞减数分裂前期的联会复合体。发现杉木花粉母细胞减数分裂的联会复合体中央结构是由两条暗带及一条明带组成,而不是一般描述的一条暗带。     

单性木兰花粉壁超微结构的研究

本文首次报道单性木兰花粉的形态特征和外壁超微结构。花粉外部形态与木兰科各属特征一致,表明单性木兰花粉的原始性。但花粉外壁超微结构显示其外壁表面具皱波状纹饰;覆盖层波浪状,具稀疏的小穿孔;柱状层很薄,小柱典型,直立,短而细。外壁超微结构表明单性木兰属在木兰亚族中是一个较进化的属。扫描电镜和透射电镜资料揭示出单性木兰在植物分类系统中的特殊地位和重要学术价值。     

POLLEN MORPHOLOGY OF THE EUCHARIDEAE (AMARYLLIDACEAE)

Eucharis, Caliphruria, and Urceolina form a monophyletic group of petiolate-leaved, Neotropical Amaryllidaceae ecologically specialized to the understory of primary tropical rain forest below 2,000 m elevation. Pollen morphology of the three genera is surveyed. Pollen grains of all species of Eucharis, Caliphruria, and Urceolina are boat-shaped elliptic, monosulcate, heteropolar, and bilateral in symmetry. Exine sculpturing is semitectate-columellate and reticulate in all species examined. A transformation series in reticulum coarseness and pollen grain size is described. The large pollen grain with coarse reticulum of most Eucharis species is considered ancestral. The fine reticulation of Caliphruria is considered derived and the exine morphology of Urceolina is intermediate. Both of these genera have medium-sized pollen grains. Exine dimorphism common to all Urceolina, but rare in Eucharis and Caliphruria, may be symplesiomorphous among those taxa exhibiting this morphology. The three genera are largely uniform in pollen grain ultrastructure, with completely ektexinous exines. Pollen grain size in Eucharis is not closely correlated with style length. Several wide-ranging species show considerable intraspecific variation in pollen size. Parallelisms in pollen grain evolution among related tribes of Neotropical Amaryllidaceae are discussed.     

ULTRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF MESOZOIC POLLEN: CLASSOPOLLIS

Because of its complexity one of the most unusual fossil pollen types is the genus Classopollis. Grains of this broadly defined Mesozoic taxon range from the late Triassic into the Cretaceous (Turonian), and include forms that are spherical with a subequatorial rimula. On the proximal pole is a trilete mark, and on the distal surface a thin area in the sporoderm termed the cryptopore. Ultrastructural studies of Classopollis have been completed on grains extracted from the pollen cone Classostrobus comptonensis collected from the Lower Cretaceous Wealden beds on the Isle of Wight, England. The sporoderm consists of clearly defined nexine and sexine components, with the mature nexine composed of approximately 20 electron dense lamellae, each about 10 nm thick. The sexine consists of four (S_1–4) easily recognizable layers, with the most prominent zone formed of coarse, inwardly-tapering elements. The S₂ layer is uniformly thickened, except in specialized areas (e.g., trilete, rimula, cryptopore) where it becomes thin. The remaining wall layers include spinules that ornament the surface and a uniform series of small lacunae associated with the spinule bases. The presence of orbicules and a complex system of membranes associated with the grains extracted from less mature cones provides an opportunity to trace some developmental stages in Classopollis sporoderm ontogeny, and to compare these stages with those of selected extant pollen types. The functional significance of the infrastructure in Classopollis pollen is discussed.     

山茶科花粉超微结构及其系统学意义

借助光学显微镜,扫描电镜及透射电镜对分布于亚洲,北美洲及中南美洲山茶科１７属约５０种植物的花粉进行了系统的观察研究。本科花粉为３孔沟或３孔沟,近扁球至近球形,少数近长球形。大小从１３￣５０μｍ×５５．３μｍ。表面纹饰可分为皱波状,颗粒状,疣状,钝刺状,网状,穴网状及近乎光滑等类型。在皱波状纹饰中,其皱脊的组成分子可分为颗粒,念珠状结构。外臂为具复盖－柱状层结构,复盖层－穿孔或不穿孔。其复盖层、柱状     

THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF GLENODINIOPSIS STEINII (DINOPHYCEAE)

The freshwater dinoflagellate Glenodiniopsis steinii Wolsoszyńska was examined using computer-assisted three-dimensional reconstruction of serially sectioned cells observed with the transmission electron microscope and images from the scanning electron microscope. Vegetative cells contain ultrastructure typical of freshwater dinoflagellates including trichocysts, mitochondria, Golgi bodies, starch grains, and lipid bodies. The chloroplast is a single, multilobed structure, not multiple discoid chloroplasts as previously described. The “C” shape of the nucleus is apparently due in part to the size and location of the pusule.     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE CUTICLE OF OHELO (VACCINIUM RETICULATUM)

When viewed by electron microscopy of thin sections, the inner two-thirds of the petiolar cuticle of Vaccinium reticulatum appears dense and is penetrated by a channel-like reticulum which emanates from the primary cell wall. The outer one-third of the cuticle stains lightly and is homogeneous. This arrangement is compared with the ultrastructure of cuticle previously reported for other plant species.     

柔嫩艾美耳球虫配子发生的超微结构

利用透射电镜对柔嫩艾美耳球虫配子生殖阶段的超微结构进行了,大配子体和小配子体于相邻的宿主肠上皮细胞内相产生,由末代裂殖子入后,长大变圆而形成,小配子的形成为直接分化型,首先细胞核分裂成为多核体,随后细胞核向周边移动,然后紧靠细胞处的限制向外突出,临近突出部位的限制膜下陷,在核上方形成中心粒,中心粒发育为基粒,鞭毛中的微管和附着微管,早期形成的小配子仍与小配子体的殖体相连,成熟的小配子与配子体分离,外型香蕉状,外被单位膜,内有一电子结构十分致密的细胞核,核的头端侧面有一个巨大的线粒体,小配子有鞭毛2根,每根鞭毛内有微管,组成为9＋2结构,此外,小配子至少有6根附着微管,大配子体和大配子外被单位膜,内部形成大量的成囊体1和成囊体2,并有大量的支链淀粉和脂肪体,中央有一个细胞核,卵囊臂有5层,细胞核位于细胞中央,细胞内有大量的支链淀粉和脂肪体。     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF BETA POLLEN. I. CYTOPLASMIC CONSTITUENTS

Cytoplasmic structure of developing pollen grains of Beta vulgaris L. was studied with the electron microscope. The following stages were investigated: tetrads, ely microspores, vacuolate microspores, and binucleate pollen grains. Two unique cytoplasmic features were encountered— the reticulum complex and cytoplasmic microtubules—both of which were present from the last meiotic stage to the binucleate pollen-grain stage. The reticulum complex is connected to the nuclear membrane and juxtaposed to the plasma membrane and may function in synthesis or movement of materials through the pollen cytoplasm.