Pollen Morphological Study of Some Selected Flowering Plants within Adekunle Ajasin University Main Campus, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

On the Adekunle Ajasin University Main campus, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria, the pollen morphological study of seven (7) flowering plant species representing three (3) angiospermic plant Families (Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Fabaceae sub-family Caesalpinoideae) was examined, analyzed, and studied palynologically to determine the morphological features and attributes as an aid in the identification and classification of its members within each family. Pollen grains from fresh polleniferous materials were extracted using acetolysis methods. Detailed morphological evaluations were performed at x100 magnification. Results showed similarities and differences between species in the same genera, as well as differences between species in other families. Pollen study of these species revealed several similarities between species within the same family. Aperture type, forms, pollen grain size, sculpturing pattern, pollen dimension, and exine pattern were all studied for differences and similarities. Euphorbia hirta L and Euphorbia heterophylla L, both Euphorbiaceae species, have tricolpate apertures, are prolate in shape, reticulate, and contain small to medium pollen sizes. Asteraceae has tricolporate apertures, prolate spheroidal shapes, spinate, short and long spines, and pollen sizes ranging from microscopic to enormous (Ageratum conyzoides L, Tithonia diversifolia, and Tridax procumbens). Pollen from the family Fabaceae subfamily Caesalpinioideae (which includes Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Swartz. and Senna alata (Linn.) Roxb) were found to be subprolate, coarsely reticulate, tricolporate, and with pollen sizes ranging from medium to large. Aperture measures such as number and diameter, pollen size, and spine height were suggestive in all of the species studied. Because all of the species studied exhibited comparable form and symmetry, they were grouped together and assigned to the same family.