How to Describe and Illustrate Pollen Grains

Abstract

For the description of a pollen grain, a number of features are used including size, polarity and shape, aperture condition, ornamentation, and pollen wall structure. Additional and often more specialized features depend on the group of plants under study, Gymnosperms (Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Pinales, Gnetales) vs. Angiosperms (magnoliids, monocots, commelinids, eudicots). These features can only be obtained by the application of a combined analysis with LM, SEM, and TEM (Fig. 1). In order to compare and categorize pollen, a common language and understanding of technical terms is necessary.