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Pollen morphology of the Acalyphoideae and Euphorbioideae (Euphorbiaceae) of the Caatinga ecoregion in Brazil

Abstract

This study dealt with six species of Acalyphoideae and 18 species of Euphorbioideae occurring in the Caatinga ecoregion, with emphasis on endemic species. Pollen samples were obtained from herbarium specimens and were acetolysed and analysed via light and scanning electron microscopy. The pollen of three genera of Acalyphoideae was medium to large, 3-colporate or 3-colpate, with an echinate-perforate exine that was reticulate, bireticulate, and microreticulate. The six genera of Euphorbioideae studied exhibited pollen grains that were small, medium and large; 3-colporate with margines; and an exine with microreticulate, microreticulate-rugulate, microreticulate-caveate, and reticulate ornamentation. The pollen characteristics were more variable in the Acalyphoideae compared to the relatively homogeneous Euphorbioideae. This study provides new data and interpretations of the pollen morphology of two subfamilies of the Euphorbiaceae of the Caatinga ecoregion in Brazil.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for the fellowship granted to the first author; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for supporting the senior author (#303862/2013-0); and the curators and staff of UFP, HUEFS, HUNEB, PEUFR and HVASF. The authors also thank The Fundação Instituto Osvaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)—Centro de pesquisa Gonçalo Moniz, for SEM facilities; and Laboratório de Palinologia da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (Campus VII) laboratory facilities with light microscopy. Authors also thank three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

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Correspondence to Lidian R. de Souza.

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Conflicts of interest

Author Lidian Ribeiro de Souza has received research grant from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (BR). Author Francisco de Assis Ribeiro dos Santos has received research grant from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (BR) (#303862/2013-0, 405636/2013-0).

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This study was conducted following the accepted principles of ethics and professional conduct.

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Handling Editor: Louis P. Ronse De Craene.

Appendix

Appendix

Specimens investigated.

Dalechampia allemii G.L.Webster. Brazil: Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 18 Nov 1999, E. Melo 3192 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 17 Apr 2008, E. Melo 5507 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 17 Apr 2008, E. Melo 5513 (HUEFS).

Dalechampia peckoltiana Müll.Arg. Brazil: Bahia, Caetité, 29 Apr 2001, C. Correia 63 (HUEFS); Bahia, Caetité, 29 Apr 2001, C. Correia et al. 63 (HUEFS); Bahia, Caetité, 29 Apr 2008, L.V. Vasconcelos 74 (HUNEB).

Dalechampia purpurata Cordeiro. Brazil: Bahia, Barra do Mendes, 24 Jan 2001, M.L.S. Guedes 8150 (HUEFS); Bahia, Paramirim, 28 Apr 2007, A.A. Conceição 1927 (HUEFS).

Ditaxis gardneri Pax & K.Hoffm. Brazil: Bahia, Conceição do Coité, 11 Nov 2012, D.N. Carvalho 147 (HUEFS); Bahia, Itaberaba, 19 Mar 2006, E. Melo 4319 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 31 Oct 2009, R.F. Machado 337 (HUEFS).

Ditaxis malpighiacea Pax & K.Hoffm. Brazil: Bahia, Abaíra, 12 Mar 1992, B. Stannard 51884 (HUEFS); Bahia, Rio de Contas, 2 Feb 2004, R.M. Harley 54750 (HUEFS); Minas Gerais, Santo Hipólito, 3 Apr 1996, J.R. Pirani 3729 (HUEFS).

Euphorbia appariciana Rizzini. Brazil: Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 14 Mar 1995, L.P. Queiroz 4277 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 17 Dec 2005, F. França 5365 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 10 Feb 2009, M.B.R. Caruzo 138 (HUEFS).

Euphorbia chamaeclada Ule. Brazil: Bahia, Casa Nova, 16 Jun 2001, T.S. Nunes 537 (HUEFS); Bahia, Casa Nova, 5 Jul 2003, L.P. Queiroz 7888 (HUEFS).

Euphorbia heterodoxa Müll.Arg. Brazil: Bahia, Bom Jesus da Lapa, 11 Feb 2000, L.P. Queiroz 5853 (HUEFS); Bahia, Jacobina, 25 Jun 1999, F. França 3145 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 9 Apr 2000, I. Cordeiro 2234 (HUEFS).

Euphorbia lycioides Boiss. Brazil: Bahia, Palmeiras, 28 Mar 2003, E. Melo 3640 (HUEFS).

Euphorbia phosphorea Mart. Brazil: Bahia, Itatim, 14 Oct 1995, F. França 1401 (HUEFS); Bahia, Itatim, 20 Apr 1996, F. França 1597 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 14 Oct 2006, E. Melo 4585 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 10 Feb 2009, M.B.R. Caruzo 145 (HUEFS).

Euphorbia sarcodes Boiss. Brazil: Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 14 Apr 2007, E. Melo 4713 (HUEFS); Bahia, Palmeiras, 12 Jan 2012, G. Almeida-Silva 103 (HUEFS); Pernambuco, Buíque, 14 Feb 2008, G.D. Alcântara 46 (HUEFS).

Euphorbia tamanduana Boiss. Brazil: Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 11 Feb 2009, M.B.R. Caruzo 147 (HUEFS); Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 10 Feb 2009, M.B.R. Caruzo 136 (HUEFS); Bahia, Umburanas, 9 Apr 1999, L.P. Queiroz 5130 (HUEFS).

Euphorbia teres M.Machado & Hofacker. Brazil: Bahia, Seabra, 4 Feb 2006, M. Machado 772 (HUEFS).

Mabea glaziovii Pax & K.Hoffm. Brazil: Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 31 Mar 1986, A.C. Sarmento 828 (HUEFS).

Microstachys heterodoxa (Müll.Arg.) Esser. Brazil: Bahia, Boqueirão, 5 Mar 2005, A.A. Conceição 1198 (HUEFS); Bahia, Palmeiras, 13 Mar 2012, G. Almeida-Silva 184 (HUEFS); Bahia, Rui Barbosa, 28 Jul 2004, L.P. Queiroz 9343 (HUEFS).

Microstachys marginata (Mart. & Zucc.) Klotzsch ex Müll.Arg. Brazil: Bahia, Abaíra, 14 Jun 1994, W. Ganev 3369 (HUEFS); Bahia, Rio de Contas, 25 Jul 1993, W. Ganev 2109 (HUEFS); Bahia, Abaíra, 22 May 1992, W. Ganev 342 (HUEFS).

Microstachys revoluta (Ule) Esser. Brazil: Bahia, Mucugê, 4 Aug 2004, E.L. Borba 1819 (HUEFS); Bahia, Mucugê, 21 Jan 2005, J.G.A. Nascimento 292 (HUEFS); Bahia, Mucugê, 15 Feb 2002, R.M. Harley 54497 (HUEFS).

Microstachys uleana (Pax & K.Hoffm.) Esser. Brazil: Bahia, Rio de Contas, 20 Oct 1997, M. Alves 1238 et al. (UFP).

Omphalea brasiliensis Müll.Arg. Brazil: Pernambuco, São Vicente Férrer, 14 Oct 1999, E.M.N. Ferraz 712 (PEUFR).

Sapium argutum Huber. Brazil: Pernambuco, Fernando de Noronha, 15 Dec 1999, A.M. Miranda 3632 (HUEFS); Pernambuco, Fernando de Noronha, 22 Feb 2000, A.M. Miranda 3647 (HUEFS).

Sebastiania jacobinensis Müll.Arg. Brazil: Bahia, Ipuaçu, Apr 1980, Grupo Pedra do Cavalo 737 (HUEFS); Bahia, Feira de Santana, 6 Mar 2007, E. Melo 4629 (HUEFS); Pernambuco, Mata do Malhada, 16 Jan 2001, A.G. Silva 361 (HUEFS).

Sebastiania larensis Croizat & Tamayo. Brazil: Piauí, Caracol, 7 Dec 2011, J.A. Siqueira Filho 2579 (HVASF).

Sebastiania macrocarpa Müll.Arg. Brazil: Paraíba, São Sebastião do Umbuzeiro, 7 Jan 2010, Marcondes Oliveira 4594 (HVASF); Pernambuco, Arcoverde, 3 Feb 2014, A.C.P. Oliveira 3246 (HVASF); Pernambuco, Custódia, 02 Nov 2011, V.M. Cotarelli 111 (HVASF).

Stillingia trapezoidea Ule. Brazil: Bahia, Licínio de Almeida, 4 Nov 2006, A. Rapini 1342 (HUEFS); Bahia, Milagres, 25 Oct 1997, F. França 2430 (HUEFS); Paraíba, Araruna, 9 Dec 2003, M.C. Pessoa 81 (HUEFS).

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de Souza, L.R., Carneiro-Torres, D.S., Saba, M.D. et al. Pollen morphology of the Acalyphoideae and Euphorbioideae (Euphorbiaceae) of the Caatinga ecoregion in Brazil. Plant Syst Evol 303, 1161–1180 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-017-1429-4

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