Pollen Morphology of the Genus Lathyrus (Fabaceae) Section Pratensis in Turkey

Pollen morphology of five taxa of Lathyrus belonging to the section Pratensis (L. pratensis, L. layardii, L. laxiflorus, subsp. laxiflorus, L. laxiflorus subsp. angustifolius & L. czeczottianus) were collected from various fields in the regions of Marmara,.Mediterranean, Inner Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, Western and Eastern Black Sea. Three of these taxa, L. layardii, L. laxiflorus subsp. angustifolius and L. czeczottianus are endemic to Flora of Turkey. Pollen grains prepared by the method of Wodehouse were subjected to the four diagnostic characteristics: pollen type, shape, apertureties and ornamentation. Following the observations, the measured pollens were photographed by a scanning electron microscopes (SEM). The pollen grains were 3-zonocolporate of subprolate and prolate types (P/E=1.2378-1.4491) medium to large in size. Ectoapertures-colpi; long, narrow, with acute ends. Endoapertures-pori; circular to lalongate. The ornamentation was perforate-foveolate (L. pratensis L. layardii & L. laxiflorus subsp. angustifolius) or low-relief reticulate (L. laxiflorus subsp. laxiflorus & L. czeczottianus) sculpture. Some photographs belonging to species were also added. During the study, the pollenʹs characteristics were defined according to Wodehouse method and SEM ornamentation and the taxa were seperately identified. The pollen morphology of L. layardii, L. laxiflorus subsp. angustifolius and L. czeczottianus were also defined for the first time. © 2010 Friends Science Publishers