| Abstract: | Pollen morphology of 44 species representing 9 genera of Tiliaceae in China was examined under light microscope, 10 of them were observed with scanning electron microscope.
Nine genera involved in this paper are: Colona. Corchoropsis, Corchorus, Excentrodendron, Grewia, Hainannia, Microcos, Tilia and Triumfetta
The pollen grains of Tiliaceae are eurypalynous. Based on the aperture type and ornamentation, they may be grouped into four types: (1) The Grewia type, pollen grains tricolporate: Colona, Corchorus, Grewia, Microcos and Triumfetta, (2) The Tilia type, pollen grains brevitricolporate: Hainania and Tilia, (3) The Corchoropsis type, pollen grains triporate, spinate: Corchoropsis, and (4) The Excentrodendron type, pollen grains triporate, reticulate: Exce ntrodendron.
The significance of pollen morphology in taxonomy of Tiliaceae is discussed. The palynological data seem to support the separation of Microcos from Grewia and the transfer of Corchoropsis to Sterculiaceae from Tiliaceae. |
