Title: Pollen flora of AL-Madinah AL Munawwarah-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abstract:Pollen morphology of 25 species belonging to 20 flowering plant families representing the current vegetation of AL-Madinah AL-Mounawwarah have been investigated using both Light mic roscope (LM) and S...Pollen morphology of 25 species belonging to 20 flowering plant families representing the current vegetation of AL-Madinah AL-Mounawwarah have been investigated using both Light mic roscope (LM) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM).The first aim of the present investigation is enhancing the database of pollen descriptions and illustrations for identification purposes, to be used in the ongoing paleoecological reconstructions and, eventually, in other types of studies using pollen . secondly, preparing an illustrated pollen flora (Atlas) of Saudi Arabia, which may act as index of local flora.The examined pollen grains exhibite a considerable diversity in quantitative and qualitative characters, especially in polarity, symmetry, shape, size, and aperture type as well as exine sculpture has been observed. Most pollen grains are isopolar, rarely apolar as in Malva parviflora, Bougainvillea spectabilis and Tribulus terrest .Among the investigated taxa pollen shapes ranged from spheroidal, prolate, oblate, oblate spheroidal, subspheroidal, subprolate to suboblate. Concerning the aperture type both types of apertures viz., simple and compound are recorded. Colporate pollen grains were recorded in many species among them are Arnebia decumbens, Rumex vesicarius, , Ruta chalepensis and Senna italica , Senna occidentalis , Thephrosia nubica and Zygophyllum simplex. Whereas, colpate grains were observed in Convolvulus arvensis, and Blepharis ciliaris and Glinus lotides. Porate grain was described in Abutilon pannosum, Malva parviflora and Tribulus terrestris. Monosulcate pollen was recorded in Asphodelus fistulosus while the rest of the studied pollen grains showed variable number of apertures ranging from three, four and six to many apertures. The exine sculpturing is also extremely varies from almost reticulate, rugulate, scabrate, punctate, echinate, striate, foveolate, fossulate to microreticulate.A description,illustrations in the form of scanning electrom micrographs and a key for identification of the different taxa is provided.Read More
Publication Year: 2016
Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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