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New insights into the pollen morphology of the genus Mutisia (Asteraceae, Mutisieae)

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Abstract

The pollen morphology from 67 collections representing 52 species of Mutisia was analyzed by means of light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. Pollen of Mutisia is comparable to that of the more widespread type found in Mutisiinae. The pollen grains of the genus are characterized by the spheroidal-subprolate to prolate shape, large size, tricolporate aperture, with mesoaperture, exine Mutisia type, with sculpturing microechinate to rugulate or microechinate-rugulate. This basic pollen type is very variable in size, endoaperture shape, and exine thickness of the pollen grains. A new type of arrangement of columellae was observed in pollen of Mutisia section Mutisia (e.g., M. stuebelli, M. microphylla, and M. sodiroi). It is suggested that it might have harmomegathic significance. The pollen morphology and polymorphism are discussed with regard to functional mechanisms and possible evolutionary significance.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Gloria Daners for valuable comments on the manuscript. We are also grateful to curators of several herbaria for loans of specimens and to Pablo Pérez for helping with LM photographs. Support was provided by Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Argentina (PICT No. 26289), and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina (PIP 5294 and 5604).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Sistemática y Biología Evolutiva (LASBE), Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina

    M. C. Tellería

  2. Laboratorio de Actuopalinología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    M. C. Tellería

  3. División Plantas Vasculares, Museo de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

    L. Katinas

Authors
  1. M. C. Tellería
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  2. L. Katinas
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Correspondence to M. C. Tellería.

Appendix

Appendix

Voucher material examined for the study of pollen. Superscripts refer to Table 1.

Fruticosa section. M. comptoniaefolia Rusby: Krach 7178 (SI). M. homoeantha Wedd.: Meyer 17565 (LP). M. ledifolia Decaisne: Cabrera 9438 (LP).

Guariruma section. M. alata Hieron.: López et al. 6719 (LP). M. andersonii Sodiro: Scolnik 1532 (LP). M. arequipensis Cabrera: Treacy 840, 829 (WIS). M. cochabambensis Hieron.: 1Zamaloa 2033 (LP); 2Cañigueral 11 (LP). M. decurrens Cav.: 3Grüner 132 (LP); 4Soriano 4294 (LP). M. hamata Reiche: Cabrera et al. 22495 (LP). M. lanigera Wedd.: Riccardi and Marticorena 25468 (LP). M. mandoniana Wedd.: Sodiro 4549 (SI). M. retrorsa Cav.: Vignati 420 (LP). M. saltensis Cabrera: Cabrera et al. 25519 (LP). M. sinuata Cav.: 5Fabris and Marchionni 2344 (LP); 6Fabris 1221 (LP). M. spectabilis Phil.: Jiles 1834 (LP). M. subspinosa Cav.: Ruiz Leal 1051 (LP); Villavicencio, O’Donell 1331 (LP).

Holophyllum Section. M. acerosa Poepp.: Cabrera 3463 (LP). M. friesiana Cabrera: Cabrera et al. 22501 (LP). M. linearifolia Cav.: Marticorena and Matthei 947 (LP). M. mathewsii var. anomala Cabrera: Macbride and Featherstone 907 (LP). M. subulata R. et P.: 7Jiles 4189, 8Jiles 2586 (LP).

Isantha Section. M. kurtzii R. E. Fries: 9Fabris et al. 4082 (LP); 10Cabrera 9001 (LP).

M. linifolia Hook.: Dawson and Pujals 1611 (LP). M. orbignyana Wedd.: 11Isern 394 (LP); 12Meyer et al. 20888 (LP).

Mutisia Section. M. acuminata var. paucijuga (Gris.) Cabrera: Cabrera et al. 13894 (LP). M. campanulata Less.: Hatschbach 4058 (LP). M. clematis L.: Fosberg 22294 (LP). M. coccinea St. Hil.: Krapovickas et al. 22993 (LP). M. grandiflora Humb. et Bonpl.: 13Acosta Solís 5442 (F); 14Cuatrecasas 20917 (F). M. hamata Reiche: Cabrera et al. 22495 (LP). M. intermedia Hieron.: Sodiro (BAF). M. lanata R. et P.: 15Scolnik and Luti 519 (LP); 16Weddell 2314 (LP). M. lehmannii Hieron: 17Jaramillo 5415 (F); 18Dorr and Valdespino 6382 (F). M. microphylla Willd. ex DC.: 19Firmin 524 (F); 20Romoleroux 297 (F). M. pulcherrima Muschl.: Sagástegui 7469 (LP). M. retrorsa Cav.: Vignati 420 (LP). M. rimbachii Sodiro ex Harris: Villacrés 234 (F). M. sodiroi Hieron.: 21Sodiro (BAF); 22Fosberg 21188 (F). M. speciosa Ait.: 23Grüner 1077 (LP); 24Rodríguez 1265 (LP). M. spectabilis Phil.: Jiles 1834 (LP). M. stuebelii Hieron.: Cuatrecasas 19156 (FM). M. subulata R. et P.: Jiles 2586 (LP). M. venusta Blake: Vargas 4420 (LP). M. vicia Koster: without leg. no. 2256 (LP). M. wurdackii Cabrera: López et al. 4303 (LP).

Ovata Section. M. brachyantha Phil.: Wederman 541 (LP). M. cana Poepp. et Endl.: Jiles 2710. M. ilicifolia Phil. var. decandolleana (Phil.) Cabrera: Pisano et al. 1665 (LP), Jiles 1871 (LP). M. involucrata Phil.: Barros 3804 (LP). M. latifolia D. Don: Jiles 3139 (LP). M. macrophylla Phil.: 25Barros 7552; 26Barros 1772 (LP). M. oligodon Poepp. et Endl.: 27Cabrera 6090 (LP); 28Ledezma 650 (LP). M. spinosa Ruiz et Pav.: 29Landrum 4378 (LP); 30Hollermayer 725 (LP).

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Tellería, M.C., Katinas, L. New insights into the pollen morphology of the genus Mutisia (Asteraceae, Mutisieae). Plant Syst Evol 280, 229–241 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-009-0185-5

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