THE TAXONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF POLLEN MORPHOLOGY IN SOME SOUTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF MIMULUS (SCROPHULARIACEAE)

The pollen grains of South American hexaploid representatives of the Mimulus glabratus complex, section Simiolus, and M. bridgesii, a South American species sometimes included in this complex and sometimes in section Paradanthus, were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. Mimulus bridgesii has (6-) 4–5-zoniaperturate grains nearly identical to those observed in a complex of species in section Paradanthus. South American members of the M. glabratus complex (M. bridgesii excluded) have the irregularly synaperturate, ± spiraperturate pollen typical of section Simiolus (sensu Grant). Treatment of M. bridgesii as a palynologically aberrant member of section Simiolus is not supported by what is known about the evolution of pollen types in Mimulus and the evolution and dispersal of the M. glabratus complex.