Abstract

MIRANDA DE MELO, José Iranildo; FERREIRA DE SALES, Margareth  and  RIBEIRO DOS SANTOS, Francisco de Assis. Morfologia polínica das espécies de Heliotropium L. (Boraginaceae) ocorrentes em Pernambuco, Brasil. Ernstia [online]. 2006, vol.16, n.1, pp.69-79. ISSN 0252-8274.

This work aims to contribute to the inter-specific delimitation of Pernambucan species of Heliotropium by a pollen morphology study. The species studied were H. angiospermum Murray, H. curassavicum L., H. elongatum (Lehm.)I.M. Johnst., H. indicum L., H. polyphyllum Lehm., H. procumbens Mill. and H. ternatum Vahl. The palynological samples were acetolyzed and analyzed under a light microscope. It has been verified that pollen grains are medium sized (small only in H. ternatum), prolate, subprolate to prolatespheroidal, tricolporate or 6 to 8-heterocolpate. The ornamentatation of the exine is psilate, microrreticulate, slightly perforated or slightly scabrous. Differences in the pollen morphology were observed among the most of the species and an identification key based on pollen morphology features is presented.

Keywords : Pollen morphology; Heliotropium; Boraginaceae; Pernambuco State; Brazil.