Palynology pollen morphology and biology

This is an excerpt of basic concepts and principles of palynology as it applies to systematics and taxonomy of plants. Credits are given to the authors and owners of photographs used in the entire presentation.

1. Palynology:
Pollen Morphology and Biology
presented by

MARIO A. CUDIAMAT

Conservation Biologist/Director
Center for Marine Science and Mangrove Research
Calatagan Mangrove Forest Conservation Park
Calatagan, Batangas, Philippines

2. Objectives
•Enumerate and identify important
palynological features of
angiosperms;
•Relate these features to plant
systematics; and
•Demonstrate taxonomic evidence in
palynology.

3. What is palynology?
•Palynology (palynos,
dust) is the science of
pollen grains and
spores.
•Pollen grains are
male gametophytes
or reproductive cells
of a flowering plant.

4. Pollen Biology

5. Pollen Biology
•Pollen grains
consist of a hard
outer wall (exine)
and an inner softer
wall (intine) which
encloses the
cytoplasm with its
cells (nuclei) and
organelles.

6. •A pollen grain contains the male
gamete of the angiosperm plant.
•Pollen has two functions-reproduction
and reward of visitors.
•The outer layer of a pollen and spores
often contains a special compound,
sporopollenin, which resists
degradation by various chemicals,
bacteria and fungi.
Pollen Biology

7. Pollen Biology
•The pollen wall is
designated to
protect the sperm
nucleus from
desiccation and
irradiation during
transport from the
anther to the
stigma.

8. •Pollen grains come in a wide variety of shapes
(most often spherical), sizes, and surface markings
characteristic of the species
Pollen Biology

9. Palynology and Systematics
•Palynology is used in phylogenetic
analysis.
•It can be utilized in plant identification
•Extant plants
•Fossil plants
–Paleopalynology/paleobotany
– past plant communities, climate,
biogeography, migration

10. Palynology and Systematics
•The morphology of pollen grains forms the
basic criteria for their identification..
•The palynological features of a spore or
pollen grain can often be used to identify a
particular taxon.
•Pollen data provides information of
changes in vegetation, climate, and
human disturbance of terrestrial
ecosystems.

11. Pollen Analysis
•Sediments are collected
•Pollen grains are isolated
from the sediment matrix
via chemical treatments.
•Isolated pollen grains are
mounted onto a glass
slide, and they are
identified and quantified
under a microscope.

12. Palynological Features
Used in Plant Systematics
•Pollen Nucleus
Number
•Pollen Storage
Product
•Pollen Unit
•Pollen Polarity


•Pollen Aperture
•Pollen Size
•Pollen Shape
•Pollen Sculpturing
•Pollen Wall Structure

13. Pollen Nucleus No.
binucleate versus trinucleate

14. Binucleate Plant Families
A. Tradescantia
virginia
(Commelinaceae)
B. Smilacina
stellata
(Liliaceae)
C. Rosaceae
D. Chrysanthemum
(Asteraceae)

15. Pollen Nucleus No.
Trinucleate

16. Pollen Nucleus No.
Trinucleate
(Caryophyllaceae-Pollen of pink family)

17. Pollen Storage Product
•Pollen grains contain high-energy storage
reserves. These are composed of either

starch versus oil
(Poaceae & Rhizophoraceae)(Sonneratiaceae)
•This distribution can be phylogenetically
informative in angiosperms.

18. Pollen Unit
•Pollen unit refers to the number of pollen
grains united together at the time of release.
Monad (single pollen unit)

19. Monad
•Single and unfused pollen grain
•Examples (majority of angiosperms)

Nypa fruticans, Arecaceae Hibiscus trionum, Malvaceae

20. Pollen Unit (Monad)
•Research study in pollen morphology conducted in DLSU-Dasma
“Documentation and Identification of Pollen Found
at DLSU-Dasma” (Bognot, et. al,. 2003)
Family Pollen Size (µm) Pollen Shape Pollen Unit Pollen Sculpturing
Begoniaceae 18.75 Oblate Monad Striate
Lythraceae 37.5 Oblate Monad Striate
Rubiaceae 12.5 Spheroidal Monad Perforate
Caricaceae 50 Spheroidal Monad Psilate
Malvaceae 1 112.5 Spheroidal Monad Echinate
Malvaceae 2 312.5 Spheroidal Monad Echinate
Euphorbiaceae 1 50 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Euphorbiaceae 2 50 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Euphorbiaceae 3 37.5 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Oxalidaceae 12.5 Spheroidal Monad Psilate

21. Pollen Unit
Dyad

22. Pollen Unit
Dyad

Ascarina philippinensis
(Chloranthaceae)

23. Pollen Unit
Tetrad
(four pollen grain fused together)
Tetrahedral Tetragonal

24. Example of tetrad
•Tetrahedral tetrad-Ericaceae (mint family)
•Tetragonal tetrad-Philydraceae and Fabaceae

Tetragonal tetrad
(Mimosa pudica)
Fabaceae

25. Pollen Unit (Tetrad)
Tetragonal tetrad
Philydraceae
(Pollen of mint family)


Tetragonal tetrad
Goodeniaceae

26. Pollen Unit
Lachnanthes, Haemodoraceae
Decussate tetrad-pollen grains are in two
pairs arranged at right angles to one another

27. Pollen Unit
Polyad (multiple of 8
fused grains)

28. Pollen Unit (Polyad)
Common Name Pollen Unit Pollen Shape/Size Aperture Polarity
Acacia Polyad Prolate/Spheroidal Inaperturate Isopolar
Alibangbang Monad Oblate spheroidal Tricolpate Isopolar
Pine Tree Massulae polyad Prolate/Spheroid Isopolar
Dapdap Monad Oblate spheroidal Triporate Isopolar
Makahiya Tetrahedral tetrad Oblate Syncolpate Isopolar
Ipil-ipil Monad Prolate Tricolpate Isopolar
•Research Studies on Pollen Unit and Systematics
“Pollen Morphology of Family Fabaceae
(Leguminosae) in DLSU-Dasma Campus”
(Guiao, et. al, 2003)

29. Polyad
Parkia speciosa
(Fabaceeae)

30. Pollen Unit (Polyad)
•Research Studies on Pollen Unit and Systematics
“Key to Pollen Identification in DLSU-Dasma
Campus”
(Aquino, et. al, 2003)
Family Name Dispersal Unit
Annonaceae Decussate and tetragonal tetrad
Moraceae Tetrad
Onagraceae Polyad/Tetrad
Portulaceae Tetrahedral tetrads
Sterculiaceae Polyad

31. Pollen Unit
Pollinium
(Apocynaceae and Orchidaceae)

32. Let’s remember!!!
Pollen Units
•Monad
•Dyad
•Tetrad (tetrahedral, tetragonal,
decussate)
•Polyad
•Pollinium

33. Pollen Polarity
•It refers to the position of one or more
apertures relative to spatial reference.
•Observing a pollen grain from the
direction of a pole is known as polar
view; observing from the equatorial
direction is an equatorial view.

34. Types of Pollen Polarity
Apolar

35. Types of Pollen Polarity
Heteropolar

36. Types of Pollen Polarity
Isopolar
Cucurbitaceae

37. Let’s remember!!!
Pollen Polarity
•Apolar
•Heteropolar
•Isopolar

38. Pollen Aperture
Aperture - specially delimited region or an
opening in a pollen grain wall; colpus
(elongated) or pores (rounded)
*Colpi are regarded as more primitive than
pores. (Takhatajan)

Function:
- Point of pollen tube exitus, where pollen
tube grows out.
- Harmomegathy (resistant to decay)

39. Pollen Aperture
•Simple apertures are more primitive
than compound.
•Few apertures are more primitive
than several.

40. Pollen Aperture
•Colpus-elongated aperture or a sulcus-
slit or groove aperture occurring at the
distal pole
•Porus-circular aperture
•The number of apertures of any shape
can be designated by appending the
prefix mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-,
hexa- or poly- to the terms colpate or
porate.

41. Pollen Aperture
Monocolpate (Magnoliaceae)

42. Pollen Aperture
Monocolpate (Asteraceae)

43. Pollen Aperture
Monoporate (Poaceae)

44. Pollen Aperture
Tricolpate

45. Pollen Aperture (Tricolpate)
(Acanthaceae)

46. Pollen Aperture
triporate

47. Pollen Aperture (Triporate)
Cucurbitaceae

48. Pollen Aperture
Tricolporate (Goodenaceae)

49. Pollen Aperture
Polyporate
Amaranthaceae Convolvulaceae

50. Pollen Aperture
Pantoporate (pori occur globally on the
pollen grain surface)

51. Pollen Morphology and
Systematics
•Research Study
“Morphological Characteristics of Mangrove
Pollen”
The study revealed a crucial relationship
between pollen and mangrove families.
(refer pages 3-4 of the abstract)

52. Let’s remember!!!
Pollen Apertures

•Monocolpate
•Monoporate
•Tricolpate
•Tricolporate
•Polyporate
•Pantoporate

53. Pollen Size
•Pollen size can vary tremendously across
taxa. Size is typically measured in terms of
both the polar diameter and the equatorial
diameter.
•Typical pollen grains = 25-50 µm
•Pollen diameter ranges < 5 µm to > 200 µm

54. Pollen Size
•Grain size tends to have a moderate
phylogenetic component.

Plant Pollen grain diameter (µm)
Myosotis 5
Acacia (polyad) 30-50
Echium 12
Bauhinia 100
Cucurbitaceae 100-200
Malvaceae 150-200

55. Pollen Size
•It can be inferred from the table that borage
family has small pollen while mallow and
cucumber families have large pollen.

56. Pollen Size
•Plant Families in DLSU-Dasma with single pollen units
“Documentation and Identification of Pollen Found
at DLSU-Dasma” (Bognot, et. al,. 2003)
Family Pollen Size (µm) Pollen Shape Pollen Unit Pollen Sculpturing
Begoniaceae 18.75 Oblate Monad Striate
Lythraceae 37.5 Oblate Monad Striate
Rubiaceae 12.5 Spheroidal Monad Perforate
Caricaceae 50 Spheroidal Monad Psilate
Malvaceae 1 112.5 Spheroidal Monad Echinate
Malvaceae 2 312.5 Spheroidal Monad Echinate
Euphorbiaceae 1 50 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Euphorbiaceae 2 50 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Euphorbiaceae 3 37.5 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Oxalidaceae 12.5 Spheroidal Monad Psilate

57. Pollen Shape
Spheroidal
(globose or ball-shaped)

58. Pollen Shape
Spheroidal

Rubiaceae Cucurbitaceae

59. Pollen Shape
Oblate
(compressed along the polar axis like a
tangerine)

60. Pollen Shape
Oblate

Apocynaceae Euphorbiaceae

61. Pollen Shape
Prolate
(elongated along the polar axis like a
cucumber)

62. Pollen Shape
Prolate

Euphorbiaceae Rhizophoraceae Sonneratiaceae

63. Pollen Shape
•Plant Families in DLSU-Dasma with single pollen units
“Documentation and Identification of Pollen Found
at DLSU-Dasma” (Bognot, et. al,. 2003)








•Research study on Mangrove Pollen (pages 3-4)
Family Pollen Size (µm) Pollen Shape Pollen Unit Pollen Sculpturing
Begoniaceae 18.75 Oblate Monad Striate
Lythraceae 37.5 Oblate Monad Striate
Rubiaceae 12.5 Spheroidal Monad Perforate
Caricaceae 50 Spheroidal Monad Psilate
Malvaceae 1 112.5 Spheroidal Monad Echinate
Malvaceae 2 312.5 Spheroidal Monad Echinate
Euphorbiaceae 1 50 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Euphorbiaceae 2 50 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Euphorbiaceae 3 37.5 Spheroidal Monad Reticulate
Oxalidaceae 12.5 Spheroidal Monad Psilate

64. Let’s remember!!!
Pollen shape

•Spheroidal
•Oblate
•Prolate

65. Pollen Sculpturing
Echinate
(spinelike)
Verrucate
(wart-like)

66. Pollen Sculpturing
Echinate
Asteraceae

67. Pollen Sculpturing
Verrucate
Caryophyllaceae

68. Pollen Sculpturing
Foveolate
(pitted surface)
Rugulose
(brainlike)

69. Pollen Sculpturing
Rugulate
Fabaceae Acanthaceae

70. Pollen Sculpturing
Reticulate
(netlike)
Striate
(with stripes)

71. Pollen Wall Structure
tectate-columellate
(majority of the angiosperms)

72. Pollen Wall Structure
tectate-columellate
(roof and footlike layer)

73. Palynological Features Used in
Plant Systematics
•Pollen Nucleus
Number
•Pollen Storage
Product
•Pollen Unit
•Pollen Polarity


•Pollen Aperture
•Pollen Size
•Pollen Shape
•Pollen Sculpturing
•Pollen Wall Structure


Let’s summarize!!!