World Pollen and Spore Flora 23. Malvaceae Adams. P.p. Subfamilies: Grewioideae, Tilioideae, Brownlowioideae

Abstract

The pollen morphology of 85 species (89 collections) from 32 genera, i.e. Ancistrocarpus, Apeiba, Berrya, Brownlowia, Carpodiptera, Christiana, Clappertonia, Colona, Corchorus, Desplatsia, Diplodiscus, Duboscia, Eleutherostylis, Entelea, Erinocarpus, Glyphaea, Goethalsia, Grewia, Hainania, Heliocarpus, Luehea, Lueheopsis, Microcos, Mollia, Mortoniodendron, Pentace, Sparmannia, Tetralix, Tilia, Trichospermum, Triumfetta, and Vasivaea of family Malvaceae was examined by light microscope (LM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Three types are recognized on the basis of aperture types, exine pattern and pollen shape classes 1) Berrya-type, 2) Corchorus-type and 3) Mortoniodendron-type. The Berrya-type has two subtypes: Berrya-subtype A and Berrya-subtype B. Corchorus-type has two subtypes: Corchorus-subtype A and Corchorus-subtype B. In the Berrya-type, Corchorus-type and Mortoniodendron-type pollen grains are colporate, in one case (Tilia) colp(or)ate. The pollen morphological trends are discussed with special reference to pollen size, shape and exine sculpturing.