| Abstract: | The present paper describes the pollen morphology of 27 species, 4 varieties and 1form of Asarum from China. The pollen grains were all examined under light microscope andscanning electron microscope. The apertures of pollen grains of Asarum are variable and sodistinct as to allow the identification of individual subgenera and species. The exineornamentation is compound and may be divided into two types: reticulate or cerebelloid under verrucae. The pollen grains of Subgen. Asarum and Subgen. Heterotropa aredistinguishable, which supports the taxonomical subdivision based on the grossmorphology. The differences in the pollen morphology between A. caulescens Maxim. andA. sieboldii Miq. in China and in Japan are discussed and some comparisons in the pollenmorphology between several species similar in the gross morphology are also made. |
