Pollen morphology of three Chrysophthalmum schultz bip. (Asteraceae) species in Turkey

The pollen morphology of three species of the genus Chrysophthalmum Schultz Bip. (Asteraceae) found in Turkey were studied with light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The three species were C. dichotomum Boiss. & Heldr., C. gueneri Aytac & Anderb., and C. montanum (DC.) Boiss. Pollen grains of the Chrysophthalmum species were identified as spheroidal and their apertures were shown to be tricolporate. The polar and equatorial axes, distance between colpus apices, length/width of colpus, length/width of porus, exine thickness, and length/base of spine were measured on the pollen grains. Pollen ornamentation of the three species was identified as echinate in LM and echinate-microperforate in SEM. These studied species were distinguished from each other using Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn’s test. The results indicate that pollen characteristics could be useful for distinguishing the examined species.