Pollen morphology of the Cyclantherinae C. Jeffr. (tribe Sicyeae Schrad., Cucurbitaceae) and its taxonomic significance

Abstract

Pollen grains of the family Cucurbitaceae, subtribe Cyclantherinae C. Jeffr. have been examined in the scanning electron and conventional light microscope. In addition to pollen grain size, the 12 genera, with some 75 species, show a range of different aperture, exine and ornamentation chracteris- tics, by which pollen can in many cases be identified to species level. Certain species of Echinopepon Naudin in particular share pollen grains of a distinctive, polyzonocolpate type, also seen in the monotypic genus Apatzingania Dieterle. A morphological examination of the plants themselves further suggests that these species may be more accurately grouped together in a new combination, and that the taxonomic relationships of the remaining species of Echinopepon need to be re-evaluated. © Société botanique de France 1994.