Pollen morphology of 5 centaurea l. And 3 psephellus cass. taxa in Turkey Türkiye’den 5 centaurea l. Ve 3 psephellus cass. taksonunun polen morfolojileri

© 2019, Centenary University. All rights reserved.In this study, pollen morphology of 5 Centaurea (C. antitauri, C. coronopifolia, C. iberica, C. patula, and C. pterocaula) and 3 Psephellus (P. hypoleucus, P. pulcherrimus, and P. simplicicaulis) species distributed in Turkey have been examined based on the exine structure and sculpturing. Previous papers drew attention to great value of pollen morphology in the taxonomy of Centaurea and divided genus from Centaurea as Rhaponticoides, Psephellus and Cyanus. Pollen grain characters of 8 species were investigated by light microscope (LM). For morphological analysis, pollen grains were prepared according to Wodehouse (1935). Voucher specimens are deposited in the ISTE (Herbarium of Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul University). Types of pollen grains are tricolporate, isopolar and tectum complete of all specimens studied. The largest pollen in Psephellus hypoleucus whereas the smallest pollen in Centaurea iberica. The exine sculptures in the rest of the examined specimens are scabrate, microechinate or reticulate. The polar axis (P) ranges from 32.78±1.805 μm to 40.42±1.976 μm in studied Centaurea species and 36.76±0.8109 μm to 40.5±1.3092 μm in studied Psephellus species. The equatorial axis ranges from 30.77±1.43 μm to 39.20±0.632 μm in studied Centaurea species and 37.4878±2.1313 μm to 40.5789±1.7566 μm in studied Psephellus species. All of the morphological parameters investigated are given in detailed. Pollen shape of 8 species, which are we have been studied, is the same shape but their sizes are different. And there are some differences on the exine surface (sculpture). In the taxonomy pollen type gives an idea for these genera and it is also better to combine it with morphological, karyological and molecular data