Skip Navigation



AOBPreview published online on September 12, 2005
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mci257
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
96/6/1061    most recent
mci257v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by JANSSENS, S.
Right arrow Articles by VINCKIER, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by JANSSENS, S.
Right arrow Articles by VINCKIER, S.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by JANSSENS, S.
Right arrow Articles by VINCKIER, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received May 3, 2005
Revised June 22, 2005
Accepted July 15, 2005

Article

Palynological Variation in Balsaminoid Ericales. II. Balsaminaceae, Tetrameristaceae, Pellicieraceae and General Conclusions

STEVEN JANSSENS 1*, FREDERIC LENS 1, STEFAN DRESSLER 2, KOEN GEUTEN 1, ERIK SMETS 3, and STEFAN VINCKIER 1

1 Laboratory of Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, K.U.Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
2 Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt/M., Germany
3 Laboratory of Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, K.U.Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden University Branch, PO Box 9514, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
STEVEN JANSSENS, E-mail: Steven.Janssens{at}bio.kuleuven.ac.be


  Abstract

• Background and Aims The objective of this study is to examine the palynological diversity of Balsaminaceae (two genera/±1000 species), Tetrameristaceae (two genera/two species) and Pellicieraceae (one genus/one species). The diversity found will be used to infer the systematic value of pollen features within the balsaminoid clade.

• Methods Pollen morphology and ultrastructure of 29 species, representing all families of the balsaminoid clade except Marcgraviaceae, are investigated by means of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.

• Key Results Balsaminaceae pollen is small to medium sized with three to four apertures, which can be either colpate or porate, and a sexine sculpturing varying from coarsely reticulate to almost microreticulate. Tetrameristaceae pollen is small sized, 3-colporate, with a heterobrochate reticulate sculpturing and granules present in the lumina. Pellicieraceae pollen is large sized, 3-colporate with long ectocolpi and a perforate sexine sculpturing with large verrucae. Furthermore, Pelliciera is characterized by the occurrence of aggregated orbicules, while orbicules are completely absent in both Balsaminaceae and Tetrameristaceae. Balsaminaceae pollen differs from the other balsaminoid families due to the occurrence of colpate or porate grains with an oblate to peroblate shape, a very thin foot layer and a lamellated endexine.

• Conclusions From a pollen morphological point of view, Balsaminaceae are completely different from the other balsaminoid families. Therefore, no pollen morphological synapomorphies could be defined for the balsaminoid clade. However, various pollen features were observed that could indicate a possible relationship between Tetrameristaceae, Pellicieraceae and Marcgraviaceae. Despite the palynological similarities in the latter three families, it remains unclear to what extent they are related to each other.

Keywords: Balsaminaceae, Ericales, orbicules, Pellicieraceae, pollen, SEM, TEM, Tetrameristaceae.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 ANN BOT (LOND)Home page
F. LENS, S. DRESSLER, S. VINCKIER, S. JANSSENS, S. DESSEIN, L. VAN EVELGHEM, and E. SMETS
Palynological Variation in Balsaminoid Ericales. I. Marcgraviaceae
Ann. Bot., November 1, 2005; 96(6): 1047 - 1060.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.