Morphological Features of Pollen Grains in Portulaca

Abstract

The morphological features of pollen grains collected from the broad-leaved and cylindrical-leaved Portulaca species of the Hawaiian Islands were investigated. The variation in size and surface pattern were examined using scanning electron microscopy and statistical analysis. Pollens of the Portulaca were apolar grains of monads exhibiting apertures, colpi, and relatively thin echini. Of particular interest was the differing size of pollen grains among the species studied. Pollens of the broad-leaved Portulaca were considerable in size with a length of about <TEX>$73{\sim}86{\mu}m$</TEX>, while the cylindrical-leaved Portulaca tended to have smaller pollen grains ranging from 50~65 in diameter. The smallest pollens were found in cultivar 2 having an average of <TEX>$43{\mu}m$</TEX>. The pollen was intectate, and the exine surface appeared granulous, having sculptured elements of spinules and puncta. Two types of puncta were discerned; one forming an operculum, and the other, a simple perforation. Numerous spinules and small puncta were found throughout the cylindrical-leaved Portulaca. In the present study, morphological features of pollen grains from ten Hawaiian Portulaca species, including endemic and unknown taxa, revealed the aforementioned pattern of variation. This paper aim to provide morphological information that could be of phylogenetic value within the Hawaiian Portulaca.