POLLEN MORPHOLOGY IN THE GENUS ERYTHRONIUM (LILIACEAE) AND ITS SYSTEMATIC IMPLICATIONS |
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Authors: | Masamichi Takahashi |
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Institution: | Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Kagawa University, Takamatsu, 760 Japan |
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Abstract: | Pollen morphology was examined in 40 samples from 19 species in the genus Erythronium (Liliaceae) using scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Pollen grains are monosulcate monads, except for a plant of E. oregonum which has dyad grains. North American and European species are characterized by reticulate exine sculpture composed of various degrees of wavy muri and variably-sized lumina. The most distinctive feature of exine sculpture in the genus is exhibited by the Asian species E. japonicum, which has a unique reticulate pattern composed of striate muri and a distinctive exine structure without columellae. The distinctness of E. japonicum pollen suggests that it has specialized in isolation from species in North America and Europe. |
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