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Palynological evolutionary trends within the tribe Mentheae with special emphasis on subtribe Menthinae (Nepetoideae: Lamiaceae)

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Abstract

The pollen morphology of subtribe Menthinae sensu Harley et al. [In: The families and genera of vascular plants VII. Flowering plants·dicotyledons: Lamiales (except Acanthaceae including Avicenniaceae). Springer, Berlin, pp 167–275, 2004] and two genera of uncertain subtribal affinities (Heterolamium and Melissa) are documented in order to complete our palynological overview of the tribe Mentheae. Menthinae pollen is small to medium in size (13–43 μm), oblate to prolate in shape and mostly hexacolpate (sometimes pentacolpate). Perforate, microreticulate or bireticulate exine ornamentation types were observed. The exine ornamentation of Menthinae is systematically highly informative particularly at generic level. The exine stratification in all taxa studied is characterized by unbranched columellae. Orbicules are consistently absent in Menthinae. Our palynological data are interpreted in a phylogenetic context at tribal level in order to assess the systematic value of pollen characters and to evaluate the existing molecular phylogenies for this group. Pollen morphology suggests Heterolamium as a close relative of subtribe Nepetinae and supports the molecular affinity of Melissa to subtribe Salviinae.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the directors of the herbaria of BR, G, GH, K, LV, MO and S for permitting the examination of specimens, either through loans or during visits. Sincere thanks also to two anonymous reviewers for their critical reading of manuscript and helpful suggestions. We are also grateful to Anja Vandeperre (K.U.Leuven) and An Vandoren (TEM, K.U.Leuven) for technical assistance. H.K. Moon thanks Dr. Alan Paton (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) for valuable discussions and Dr. Frederic Lens (K.U.Leuven) for helpful comments that improved this manuscript. A personal research grant of the K.U.Leuven (DB/06/054) was awarded to H.K. Moon. The Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO, G.0268.04 and G.0250.05) and the K.U.Leuven (OT/05/35) financially supported this research. S. Vinckier was a postdoctoral fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO) during the course of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, K.U.Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, P.O.Box 2437, 3001, Louvain, Belgium

    Hye-Kyoung Moon, Stefan Vinckier, Erik Smets & Suzy Huysmans

  2. Center for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB-3), K.U.Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000, Louvain, Belgium

    Stefan Vinckier

  3. National Herbarium of the Netherlands, Leiden University Branch, P.O.Box 9514, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Erik Smets

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  1. Hye-Kyoung Moon
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  2. Stefan Vinckier
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Correspondence to Hye-Kyoung Moon.

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Table 3

Table 3 Voucher specimens of subtribe Menthinae that are examined in the present study
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Moon, HK., Vinckier, S., Smets, E. et al. Palynological evolutionary trends within the tribe Mentheae with special emphasis on subtribe Menthinae (Nepetoideae: Lamiaceae). Plant Syst Evol 275, 93–108 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-008-0042-y

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