POLLEN MORPHOLOGY OF AJUGA L., LAMIUM L. AND PHLOMIS L. (LAMIACEAE) FROM DISTRICT ABBOTTABAD PAKISTAN

Abstract

Pollen morphology of six wild species belonging to three genera, (two species each), of the family Lamiaceae, (Ajuga L., Lamium L. and Phlomis L.) from the District Abbottabad (Pakistan), has been studied. The overall oobjective of this study was to assess the Lamiaceous Flora of District Abbottabad on palynological basis. Pollen grains were examined under light and scanning electron microscopy and photomicrographs of pollen under light microscope (LM) as well as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were incorporated to show the diagnostic features. Pollen grains are free, radially symmetrical, isopolar, trizonocolpate; prolate to subprolate to spheroidal, sexine is thicker than nexine. Tectum is fossulate and reticulate.The shape of pollen and pollen aperture are found to be important at generic level while exine thickness and its ornamentation are found to be more significant characters at specific level and could prove to be a diagnostic feature for species identification.