Pollen morphology of some <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paronychia</Emphasis> species (Caryophyllaceae) from Turkey

The Pollen morphology of 13 taxa 11 of which are endemics belonging to Paronychia Miller (Caryophyllaceae) viz., P. agryloba, P. angorensis, P. arabica subsp. euphratica, P. carica, P. cataonica, P. chinonea, P. condensata, P. davisii, P. dudleyi, P. galatica, P. kurdica subsp. kurdica, P. kurdica subsp. montis-munzur and P. mughlaei from Turkey has been investigated by light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). LM observations show that pollen grains are usually radially symetrical, isopolar, pantoporate, polygonal (6-gonal) or polygonal-spheroidal. Tectum is psilate or punctate. Tectal surface sparsely-densely spinulose. The numbers of pores are between 6 and 12. On the basis of pollen sizes, P. davisii was the biggest pollen type (23.45 μm) and P. kurdica subsp. kurdica (16.2 μm) was the smallest pollen types. According to exine sculpturing, pollen size and spinule numbers per 1 μm², three pollen types were distinguished.