Pollen morphology and ultrastructure of Australian Monimiaceae ‐ Austromatthaea, Hedycarya, Kibara, Leviera, Steganthera and Tetrasynandra

Abstract

The pollen morphology and ultrastructure of Austromatthaea elegans, Hedycarya angustifolia, H. loxocarya, Kibara rigidifolia, Leviera acuminata, Steganthera macooraia and Tetrasynandra laxiflora, are described. All are Australian members of the Monimiaceae sensu stricto of the order Laurales, subclass Magnoliidae. Except for Hedycarya angustifolia, which has pollen grains in permanent tetrads, all species have small, globose, apolar, inaperturate pollen. They can be identified under SEM by their surface ornamentation: Austromatthaea has fossulate sculpturing; Hedycarya angustifolia has tetrads with a warty configuration; H. loxocarya has echinate pollen; Kibara has spherical gemmae with nipple‐like projections; Leviera has stellate sculpturing; Steganthera has a verrucose surface with small spherical projections on each verruca, and Tetrasynandra is gemmate with one to several spiny projections on each gemma. The pollen grains of all genera of Australian Monimiaceae sensu stricto, some the results of previous studies, are summarized in tabular form. The exine has no columellae, foot layer or endexine, in contrast to the family Atherospermataceae (syn. subfamily Atherospermatoideae of the Monimiaceae, sensu lato). The most elaborate type of wall structure consists of radial elements ("radial processes") with white line‐centered regions extending from beyond the intine to the tectal region and a two‐layered intine with an outer channelled part (onciform zone). Trends of evolution from this type are discussed and comparisons are made with other Monimiaceae, Lauraceae, Amborellaceae and Trimeniaceae.