| Abstract: | The pollen morphology of 26 species and 5 hybrids of the genus Malus was investigated with aid of SEM. It is found that the pollen morphology of Malus is rather similar in shape, size, position and number of aperture and exine sculpture. The characters ofpolle morphology of sections and series are as follows: Sect. Malus Ser. Baccatae: Striae regular, parallel to colpi, and conjunct at pole; Ser. Pumilae: the same as in Ser. Baccatae, butmore or less curved near pole. Sect. Docyniopes: Striae regular and parallel to colpi, but bent near pole. Sect. Chloromeles: Striae irregular, dense and interlock. Sect. Sorbormalus: Striae irregular, sparse and not interlock. Ser. Sieboldiance: pollen grains prolate, with perforation among striae, colpi narrow;Ser. Kansuenses: Pollen grains spheroidal, colpi wide in the middle but narrow at both ends,striae relatively dense and regular, mostly dichotomous, perforation present; Ser.Yunnanenses; Pollen grain spheroidae, colpi wide in the middle but narrow at both ends,striae obviously irregular, less dichotomous, perforation absent. The major evolutionarytrend of exine sculpture of pollen may be from densely thin-striate to sparsely striate withperforation. Characters of the exine sculpture of hybrids can be used to recognize the rela-tionship between the parental species. |
