Pollen morphology of the Schisandraceae and its systematic significance

›› 2000, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (5): 437-445.

SUN Cheng-Ren

Abstract:

Pollen morphology of 91 samples, representing 23 species, 6 varieties and 1 form of the

Schisandraceae, was examined under light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope

(SEM). Palynological data of 5 species, 4 varieties and 1 form are reported for the first time. The

pollen grains are monads, heteropolar, radiosymmetric and oblate to peroblate in shape. Arrangement

of their colpi is unique in angiosperms. The pollen grains can be divided into two types according to

the number of their clopi: the tricolpate pollen type and the hexacolpate pollen type. The exine

sculpturing is reticulate. The size of luminae and the breadth of muri are correlated with the floral

morphology of the Schisandraceae to a certain extent. Our results do not support the division of the

pollen grains of the Schisandraceae into 4 types according to the size of luminae as proposed by Pra-

glowski. There is also still room of discussion about his conclusion that the pole where the three

longer colpi converge is the distal pole. The evolutionary trends of the pollen grains of the Schisan-

draceae seem to be from fewer to more in the number of colpi, and from smaller to larger in the size

of luminae. The view that Kadsura is more primitive than Schisnadra is not supported by palynolog-

ical data; on the contrary, Kadsura seems to be more advanced than Schisandra at the general level

of evolution. The two genera may be closely related, and might have originated from a common an-

cestor and then evolved parallelly along two different routes.

Key words: Schisandraceae, Schisandra, Kadsura, Pollen morphology

SUN Cheng-Ren. Pollen morphology of the Schisandraceae and its systematic significance[J]. , 2000, 38(5): 437-445.

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[5]	LIU Jia-Xi, ZHANG Yu-Long, NING Jian-Chang, ZHAO Yun-Yun, LI Ya-Xuan, ZHANG Jing-Mei. Pollen morphology of the tribe Cynoglosseae of Boraginoideae (Boraginaceae) in China [J]. , 2001, 39(6): 515-522.
[6]	LI Wei-Lin, HE Shan-An, GU Yin, SHU Pu, PU Zu-Mao. Pollen morphology of the genus Rubus from China [J]. , 2001, 39(3): 234-247.
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