Authors: SANTIAGO, LAURA JANE MOREIRA¹; LOURO, RICARDO PEREIRA²; EMMERICH, MARGARETE³; BARTH, ORTRUD MONIKA⁴

Source: Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 144, Number 2, February 2004 , pp. 243-250(8)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Abstract:

The pollen grain morphology of the eight South American species of the genus Phyllanthus, subgenus Phyllanthus, section Choretropsis, endemic to Brazil, was investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. The high homogeneity in pollen shape, as well as aperture number and configuration, allowed the definition of a basic pollen type for this section, viz. prolate spheroidal or subprolate, zonocolporate with 4-5 invaginated colpi, sexine reticulate. Two subtypes have been observed, based on pollen grain apertures and exine sculpture. The first subtype is characterized by straight and narrow colpi provided with costae, lalongate endoapertures and a reticulum of rectilineous muri as in P. choretroides and P. spartioides. The second subtype has wider colpi without costae, circular endoapertures and a reticulum with curvilineous muri as in P. flagelliformis, P. goianensis and P. scoparius, or curvilineous-rectilineous muri as in P. angustissimus, P. gladiatus and P. klotzschianus. It was demonstrated that the pollen shape and the number of colpi varied within and between some of the species. The results suggest that pollen grain morphology, in association with plant architecture and the presence of phylloclades, constitute additional evidence to delimit the species of the section Choretropsis and to further understand their evolutionary origin within the genus Phyllanthus. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 144, 243-250.

Keywords: Brazilian plants; light microscopy; scanning electron microscopy; taxonomy

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00250.x

Affiliations: 1: Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Rua Alberto Lamego 2000, Horto, Campos dos Goytacazes, 28015-620 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2: Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3: Departamento de Botânica, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 4: Laboratório de Palinologia, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biologia; Departamento de Geologia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Departamento de Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Publication date: 2004-02-01

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