Distinguishing pollen characters for the Sapotaceae

Abstract

The Sapotaceae is a well-defined pantropical family of about 900 species. Within it, however, there has been much controversy and little agreement over generic limits. The pollen of ca. 480 species have been examined in a worldwide morphological, palynological, and phytochemical generic survey of the family, carried out in collaboration with T. D. Pennington (New York Botanical Garden) and P. Waterman (University of Strathclyde). The pollen roughly separates into two groups, the first of which aligns with subfamilies Sideroxyloideae and Omphalocarpoideae, the second of which aligns with Mimu-sopoideae and Madhucoideae. Although pollen structure has been useful in helping to confirm the taxonomic position of one or two genera which were in doubt, it does not appear at present that it will be very effective in solving difficult taxonomic problems. Nevertheless the study has disclosed that the pollen possesses some interesting and characteristic structural elements which should prove useful in some instances for specific identification.