Keywords
morphology
palynology
pollen grains
Pulsatilla
How to Cite
Abstract
The genus Pulsatilla Mill. represents a taxonomically complex group, with its systematic classification having undergone numerous revisions. Pollen grain morphology plays a crucial role in the intrageneric taxonomy of Pulsatilla; however, it remains unexamined for several species within the genus. This study presents the results of a comprehensive palynological analysis of 18 Pulsatilla species, including nine species investigated for the first time. The majority of species exhibited a 3-colpate aperture, including P. astragalifolia, P. bungeana, P. ajanensis, P. cernua, P. ambigua, P. taurica, P. kryloviana, P. herba-somnii, P. turczaninovii, P. multifida, and P. archarensis. A pantocolpate aperture was characteristic of P. herbertii and P. neobungeana, while P. campanella, P. andina, and P. neobungeana displayed a pantoporate aperture. The exine sculpture of all examined pasqueflowers was consistently microspinate, with predominantly smooth surfaces, except for occasional tuberculate textures. Pollen grain shapes varied from elongated ellipsoidal to spheroidal forms.
References
Al-Eisawi DM (1986) Pollen morphology of Ranunculaceae in Jordan. Pollen Spores 28: 311–328.
Bucher E, Kofler V, Vorwohl G, Zieger E (2004) Das Pollenbild der Sudtiroler Honige. Biologisches Labor der Landesagentur fur Umwelt und Arbeitsschutz, 17–37.
Blackmore S, Stafford P, Persson V (1995) Palynology and systematics of Ranunculiflorae. Plant Systematics and Evolution 9: 71–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6612-3_7
Christenhusz MJM, Byng JW (2016) The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261(3): 201–217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1
Clarke GCS, Punt W, Hoen PP (1991) The Northwest European Pollen Flora 51. Ranuncu- laceae. Review of Paleobotany and Palynology 69: 117–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-6667(91)90071-A
Dettmann ME (1998) Pollen morphology of Eidotheoideae: Implications for phylogeny in the Proteaceae. Australian Systematic Botany 11: 605–612. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB97032
Erdtman G (1953) Pollen Morphology and Plant Taxonomy. Soil Science 75: 248. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-195303000-00016
Fujiki T, Miyoshi N, Kimura H (2016) Pollen Flora of Japan. Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo, 1016 pp.
Furness CA (2007) Why does some pollen lack apertures? A review of inaperturate pollen in eudicots. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 155: 29–48. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2007.00694.x
Furness C, Rudall P (2004) Pollen aperture evolution - A crucial factor for eudicot success? Trends in Plant Science 9: 154–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2004.01.001
Grey-Wilson C (2014) Pasque-Flowers. The genus Pulsatilla. Norfolk, Barnwell Print, 216 pp.
Halbritter H (2005) Pulsatilla. In: PalDat – A palynological database. https://www.paldat.org/search/genus/Pulsatilla (Accessed 2025-04-12).
Hamilton AC (1976) Identification of east African Urticales pollen. Pollen Spores 18(1): 27–66.
Heywood VH, Brummitt RK, Culham A, Seberg O (2007) Flowering Plant Families of the World: Royal Botanic Gardens. Curtisapos Botanical Magazine 24(3): 198–200. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960428607064335
Huynh K-L (1970) Le pollen et la systematique du genre Pulsatilla. Botanische Jahrbücher fur Systematik 89: 584–607.
Iwanami Y, Yamada Y (1984) Illustration Pollen, centered around scanning electron micrographs. Kodansha Scientific Books, Tokyo, 30 pp.
Kumazawa M (1936) Pollen grain morphology in Ranunculaceae, Lardizabalaceae and Berberidaceae. The Journal of Japanese Botany 8: 19–46.
Meyer-Melikyan NR, Severova EE, Gapochka GP, Polevova SV, Tokarev PI, Bovina IYu (1999) Principles and methods of aeropalynological studies. KMK, Moscow, 5–18 p. [In Russian]
Miyoshi N, Fujiki T, Kimura H (2011) Pollen Flora of Japan. Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo, 1010 pp.
Milne LA, Martin ARH (1998) Conospermeae (Proteoideae) pollen morphology and its phylogenetic implications. Australian Systematic Botany 11: 503–552. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB97035
Nakamura J (1980) Diagnostic characters of pollen grains of Japan. Special Publication Osaka Museum of Natural History 12: 157.
Nowicke JW, Skvarla JJ (1982) Pollen morphology and the relationships of Circaeaster, of Kingdonia, and of Sargentodoxa to the Ranunculales. American Journal of Botany 69: 990–998. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1982.tb13343.x
Nowicke JW, Skvarla JJ (1995) Pollen Morphology. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien nebst ihren Gattungen und wichtigsten Arten, inbedondere den Nutzpflanzen 17: 129–159.
Praglowski J (1975) The pollen morphology of the Trochodendraceae, Tetracentraceae, Cercidiphyllaceae and Eupteleaceae with reference to taxonomy. Pollen et Molecular Phylogenetics Evolution Journal 16: 449–467.
Sarwar AKMG, Takahashi H (2023) Discrepancies in reports of pollen morphology for Pulsatilla cernua (Ranunculaceae). Japanese Journal of Palynology 68(2): 63–66. https://doi.org/10.24524/jjpal.68.2_63
Sauquet H, Cantrill DJ (2007) Pollen diversity and evolution in Proteoideae (Proteales: Proteaceae). Systematic Botany 32: 271–316. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364407781179743
Sramko G, Laczko L, Volkova PA, Bateman RM, Mlinarec J (2019) Evolutionary history of the Pasque-flowers (Pulsatilla, Ranunculaceae): Molecular phylogenetics, systematics and rDNA evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 135: 45–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2019.02.015
Tamura MA (1991) New classification of the family Ranunculaceae 2. Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica 42(2): 177−187.
Wang F, Chien N, Zhang Y, Yang H (1995) Pollen Flora of China. 2nd ed. Science Press, Beijing, 461 pp.
Wortley AH, Wang H, Lu L, Li D-Z, Blackmore S (2015) Evolution of angiosperm pollen. 1. Introduction. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 100: 177–226. https://doi.org/10.3417/2012047
Wodehouse RP (1936) Pollen grains in the identification and classification of plants. VII. The Ranunculaceae. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 63(9): 495–514. https://doi.org/10.2307/2480930
Xi Y-Z (1985) Studies of pollen morphology of Pulsatilla Mill. Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 23: 336–343. https://www.jse.ac.cn/EN/Y1985/V23/I5/336
Zamels A, Paegle B (1927) Untersuchungen uber den anatomischen Bau der Blattstiele in der Gattung Pulsatilla Tourn. Acta Horticulturae Botanica Universitatis Latviensis 2: 133–164.
Zhang M-Y, Lu L, Davey A, Wang H, Li D-Z, Blackmore S (2017) Evolution of Angio- sperm Pollen: 4. Basal Eudicots. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 102:141–182. https://doi.org/10.3417/2015035
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.