Pollen morphology of the shrub and arboreal flora of mangroves of Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian coast, especially in the Northeastern one, possesses a vast area of mangrove which acts as the interface that links terrestrial ecosystems and estuaries. After an inventory of the shrub and tree species present in the mangroves of Northeastern Brazil, polliniferous material was collected for morphological study of the pollen grains, which were acetolysed, measured and analyzed using light and scanning electron microscopy. Fourteen species belonging to seven families were grouped as restricted and peripheral, according to their position into the mangrove vegetation. The restricted species are six: Avicennia germinans and A. schaueriana (Avicenniaceae), Rhizophora harrisonii, R. mangle and R. racemosa (Rhizophoraceae), Laguncularia racemosa (Combretaceae). The peripheral species are eight: Annona glabra (Annonaceae), Conocarpus erectus (Combretaceae), Dalbergia ecastophyllum, Inga subnuda,Sophora tomentosa (Leguminosae), Hibiscus pernambucensis, H. tiliaceus (Malvaceae) and Suriana maritima (Surianaceae). All species had their pollen grains described and illustrated in that first atlas of the pollen flora of the Brazilian mangroves.