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Taxonomic significance of pollen morphology for species delimitation in Psidium (Myrtaceae)

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Abstract

Previous studies reported Psidium as one of the most difficult genera to delimit within the American Myrtaceae. Even though palynology has improved the taxonomy of Angiosperms, information about the usefulness of pollen morphology for taxonomic purposes in Myrtaceae remains contradictory. Here, we investigate the significance of pollen morphology for Psidium taxonomy with specific focus on its usefulness for determining species groups of taxonomic significance. Pollen traits observed by light and scanning electron microscopy were quantified and examined using cluster and ordination analyses. Average size of pollen grains was visualized by boxplots. Pollen grains of Psidium are isopolar, oblate, peroblate or oblate-spheroidal, 3-syncolporate or 4-syncolporate. The sexine ornamentation is rugulate, granulate or spinulose-granulate and differs between the mesocolpium and apocolpium. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct groups: Psidium cauliflorum (G1) and Psidium oligospermum (G3) as single-species groups; Psidium brownianum, P. oblongatum, P. ovale, P. sartorianum, P. guajava, Psidium sp. 1, Psidium sp. 2 (G2), and Psidium cattleianum, P. longipetiolatum, P. guineense, P. myrtoides (G4). Supported by ordination analysis, three traits better explained these groups: type of exine ornamentation, size of P-EV and pollen shape. The used approach efficiently distinguished related species, as well as explained species groups of taxonomic significance suggesting pollen morphology to be a significant source of information for taxonomic studies in Psidium.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful for the financial support of FAPERJ (supplies for the laboratory), of CNPq (grant for the last author), and of CAPES for the doctoral fellowship to the first author. We also thank Noêmia R. Gonçalves for technical support with the SEM in Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular, Instituto de Biofísica/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leão, 2040, Horto, RJ, 22.460-030, Brazil

    Amélia C. Tuler & Ariane L. Peixoto

  2. Laboratório de Palinologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Tatiane da Silva, Cláudia B. F. Mendonça & Vania Gonçalves-Esteves

  3. Laboratório de Botânica, Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Alto Universitário, s/nº, Alegre, ES, 29500-000, Brazil

    Tatiana T. Carrijo

  4. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ecossistemas, Laboratório de Ecologia Funcional, Universidade Vila Velha, Rua Comissário José Dantas de Melo, s/n, Vila Velha, ES, Brazil

    Mário L. Garbin

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  1. Amélia C. Tuler
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  2. Tatiane da Silva
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  3. Tatiana T. Carrijo
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  5. Cláudia B. F. Mendonça
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Correspondence to Tatiana T. Carrijo.

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Handling Editor: Louis P. Ronse De Craene.

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Tuler, A.C., da Silva, T., Carrijo, T.T. et al. Taxonomic significance of pollen morphology for species delimitation in Psidium (Myrtaceae). Plant Syst Evol 303, 317–327 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-016-1373-8

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