Pollen studies on some Turkish endemic species of Centaurea L. (Asteraceae)

Abstract

Pollen grains of nine endemic Turkish Centaurea L. were studied by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The species are: C. spicata Boiss. (Sect: Cynaroides), C. tomentella Hand.-Mazz. (Sect: Cynaroides), C. screlolepis Boiss. (Sect: Cynaroides), C. amonicola Hub.-Mor. (Sect: Cynaroides), C. kurdica Reichardt (Sect: Cynaroides), C. haussknetchii Boiss. (Sect: Cynaroides), C. odyssei Wagenitz (Sect: Pteracantha), C. polyclada DC. (Sect: Acrolophus) and C. consanguinea DC. (Sect: Acrolophus)). The polen grains are tricolporate, prolate to prolate spheroidal, with sparsely or densely distributed spinules ranging from 0.50 to 1.73 ?m height and with irregular pores. P/E ratio in the grains ranges between 1.05 and 1.73. It was determined that the pollen features could be used in separation of some species studied. © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2007.