Pollen morphology of Scaligeria DC. (Apiaceae) in Turkey

In this study, the pollen morphology of all Scaligeria DC. species distributed in Turkey were studied with light and scanning electron microscopy for the first time. The aim is to contribute to knowledge of the variation among seven Scaligeria species, which have taxonomic problems, based on pollen morphological characteristics by population analysis. The pollen is radially symmetrical, isopolar, and tricolporate in all examined species. Pollen grains are prolate and subprolate with the polar axes ranging from 18.4 to 37 mu m and the equatorial axes from 9.8 to 30 mu m. Their polar shapes are triangular, triangular to subcircular, circular to subcircular, or triangular to subtriangular. Several types of exine ornamentations have been observed on pollen by scanning electron microscopy. Numerical analysis showed that pore structure, the ratio of P/E, and ornamentation in the polar and equatorial views are most valuable variables for separating the Scaligeria species. All S. lazica taxa were grouped together and S. capillifolia and S. tripartita were the external taxa due to cluster and PCA analysis.