Plant Diversity ›› 2014, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (05): 569-577.DOI: 10.7677/ynzwyj201414015

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Pollen Morphology of the Chinese Endemic Clematoclethra (Actinidiaceae) and Its Taxonomic Implications

YANG Chen-Xuan-1, CHEN Li-2, WANG Juan-3, YANG Yu-Ming-3, LI Lu-1   

  1. Actinidiaceae) and Its Taxonomic Implications YANG ChenXuan1, CHEN Li2, WANG Juan3, YANG YuMing3, LI Lu1** (1 Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; 2 Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; 3 Yunnan Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650204, China
  • Received:2014-01-27 Online:2014-09-25 Published:2014-07-10
  • Supported by:

    国家自然科学基金地区基金 (31260045);中国科学院生物多样性与生物地理学重点实验室资助项目 (KLBB201203)

Abstract:

The genus Clematoclethra (Franch.) Maxim. (Actinidiaceae) is endemic in the temperate and subtropical regions in central and western China. Species delimitation in the genus has been highly controversial. It has been treated as including 20 species and four varieties or only one species (Cscandens) with four subspecies. In this paper, pollen grains of 15 individuals from 14 populations representing the genus Clematoclethra were examined under scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The pollen is smallsized, usually spheroidal in shape, sometimes subprolate and prolate, with the aperture 3colporoidate, and falls into three types in respect of exine sculpture, namely, rugulate, granulate, and finely verrucate. The types of pollen are somewhat correlated with the types of indumentum of plants, indicating that pollen morphology is helpful for the classification of Clematoclethra.

Key words: Clematoclethra, Pollen morphology, Taxonomic significance

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