Pollen morphology of endemic plants of the Ventania range

SONAGLIONI, M I; MURRAY, M G; VILLAMIL, C B; CALFUÁN, M

Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; 10º Congreso Argentino de Ciencias Morfológicas; 2006

Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias - UNICEN

Higher plants have alternation of the gametophyte (n) and sporophyte (2n) generations during their life cycle. Male gametophytes are contained in the pollen grains, which exhibit great morphological variation. Most modern plants are adapted, according to the vehicle utilized for pollen transfer, either to wind (anemophilous) or to insect (entomophilous) pollination. The main objective of this investigation was the morphological characterization of the pollen grains of plants endemic to the Ventania Range. Optical and scanning electro microscopes were used to study pollen samples of Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Cactaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Plantaginaceae, Poaceae and Polygalaceae. Fifteen out of the sixteen studied species have monads, and only one has polyads. In regard to apertures, porate, colpate and colporate grains were observed. According to the exine ornamentation grains could be classified as reticulate, echinate, psilate or verrucate. All the studied species in this investigation are of restricted distribution. Their importance as allergens for humans has not been studied, however, being rare or scarce, the probabilities of any of them to become a problem seem remote. No previous information about these species has been found in the current palynological literature.