POLLEN MORPHOLOGY OF TWENTY THREE SPECIES OF ALLIUM L. (AMARYLLIDACEAE) FROM TURKEY

The pollen morphology of 23 Allium L. species, grown in Turkey, belonging to the sections; Rhizirideum, Schoenoprasum, Cepa, Molium, Brevispatha, Scorodon, Acanthoprason and Melanocrommyum, were investigated by LM (light microscopy), TEM (transmission electron microscope), and SEM (scanning electron microscopy). This paper presents detailed pollen morphological features are given for these taxa. Common characteristics of pollen of Allium species investigated are ellipsoidal and heteropolar, bilateral symmetry; pollen grains are shed as monads. They are monosulcate (extended sulcate types) and monosulcate-operculate. The sculpturing of the exine, pollen membrane ornamentation, lumina shape, and sulcus membrane with a fragmented operculum are found to be characteristic features for separating species. Based on these properties three main pollen types were determined with three different exine sculpturing. The characteristic structures of pollen ornamentation, observed in SEM micrographs, are striate -perforate, striate -regulate-perforate and regulate-perforate. Sulcus membrane ornamentations are psilate, psilate-perforate, rugulate and regulate-perforate. The exine is semitectate and the tectum perforate. Columellae were found to be simplicolumellate.

Automated summary

This study investigated the pollen morphology of 23 Allium L. species grown in Turkey, belonging to different sections. The results showed that the pollen of Allium species is ellipsoidal and heteropolar, with bilateral symmetry, and is shed as monads. Characteristics such as exine sculpturing, pollen membrane ornamentation, lumina shape, and sulcus membrane with a fragmented operculum were found to be useful for species identification. Three main pollen types with different exine sculpturing were determined. SEM observations revealed striate-perforate, striate-regulate-perforate, and regulate-perforate pollen ornamentations, as well as psilate, psilate-perforate, rugulate, and regulate-perforate sulcus membrane ornamentations. The exine was semitectate with a perforate tectum, and simplicolumellate columellae were observed.