Pollen morphology of Myrtaceae from the south-west Pacific area

Abstract

The pollen grains of 300 species of 71 genera of the family Myrtaceae have been examined and their characteristic features summarized in tabular form. The investigation has been mainly concerned with those species that occur in the south-west, Pacific area, particularly Australia. For comparative purposes, the pollen morphology of a limited number of South American and two South African species has been included. The significance of pollen characters for distinguishing genera and species within the family is discussed. In some instances pollen morphology has provided additional evidence for the classification of certain species as suggested by taxonomists. A provisional key to pollen grains of the genera examined has been included.