Pollen morphology in tribe Dicomeae Panero and Funk (Asteraceae)

• Author(s): A. Pereira Coutinho ; Rubim Almeida da Silva ; D. Sa ́ da Bandeira ; S. Ortiz
• Date: 2012
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10216/65383
• Origin: Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto
• Subject(s): Ciências Naturais; Ciências biológicas; Botânica
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

Abstract To better understand the taxonomy and phy- logeny of the Dicomeae (Asteraceae) the pollen morphol- ogy of seven genera including 15 species of that tribe and six genera with seven species belonging to five related tribes was studied by use of light and scanning electron microscopy. The quantitative data were analysed by use of principal-components analysis (PCA). The exine ultra- structure of Erythrocephalum longifolium and Pleiotaxis rugosa was also studied by use of transmission electron microscopy. Three pollen types were distinguishable from the apertural, columellar, and spinular morphology and inter-spinular sculpture. A dichotomous key to these pollen types is proposed. The existence of the Dicomeae as an independent tribe and its subdivision in two subtribes (Dicominae and Pleiotaxinae) are supported by this study, which also suggests the Oldenburgieae and the Tarcho- nantheae are the closest tribes to Dicomeae.