Pollen morphology and implications from the taxonomy of the genus Chrysolaena (Vernonieae, Asteraceae).

VIA DO PICO, G. M.; DEMATTEIS, M.

PALYNOLOGY

AMER ASSOC STRATIGRAPHIC PALYNOLOGISTS FOUNDATION

Año: 2013 vol. 37 p. 177 - 188

0191-6122

Here is presented the morphological characterization of pollen grains in the 18 species contained in the genus Chrysolaena (Veronieae, Asteraceae). This, in order to find additional characters for the evaluation of the taxonomic position of species, according with the current classification proposed for the Vernonieae. The results showed that Chrysolaena presents pollen grains type ?C?, which characterizes the genus. This pollen type is 3-colporate, echinolophate, oblate-spheroidal, with a total of 29 lacunae, polar lacuna present and equatorial lacuna absent. Based on the results, Chrysolaena is considered a stenopalynous genus. Despite most of the species present a similar type, pollen grains showed a slight morphological variation and some taxa could be grouped by the pollen size. The species analyzed were divided into three groups having respectively small, medium and large pollen size. Pollen morphology is a good taxonomic marker, well correlated with other morphological and molecular characters that defined the genus.