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COMPARATIVE POLLEN MORPHOLOGY OF THE MAINLAND AFRICAN GENERA OF MYRISTICACEAE (CEPHALOSPHAERA, COELOCARYON, PYCNANTHUS, AND SCYPHOCEPHALIUM)
Author(s) -
Walker James W.,
Walker Audrey G.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1980.tb07690.x
Subject(s) - pollen , reticulate , biology , palynology , genus , botany , morphology (biology) , zoology
Pollen of four (Cephalosphaera, Coelocaryon, Pycnanthus , and Scyphocephalium) of the five genera of mainland African Myristicaceae was studied with light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. Formal generic pollen descriptions are provided for each of these genera. Our study shows that each possesses a distinctive pollen type which is most readily separated from pollen of the other mainland African Myristicaceae on the basis of differences in exine sculpturing and structure. Distinctive palynological features include the reticulate sculpturing with beaded muri of Coelocaryon , the numerous, blunt spines of Pycnanthus , and the minutely “crotonoid” sculpturing pattern of Scyphocephalium . Pollen of Cephalosphaera shows marked resemblances to that of the Madagascan myristicaceous genus Mauloutchia .