Pollen morphology of selected Indian species from subfamily Polygonoidae (Polygonaceae)

Pollen morphology of 28 species and 5 varieties representing 8 genera of subfamily Polygonoidae (Polygonaceae), collected from various altitudinal ranges of Darjeeling Himalaya, sub-Himalayan Terai, Duars, Gangetic plains, Sundarbans and Western plateau of West Bengal and NE India, were examined critically under light (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to explore their distinctive features. Anthers were processed through acetolysis method and obtained grains were properly studied, measured and photographed. The shape, size, aperture type and exine ornamentation of pollen grains served as a reliable features in current study as taxonomic tool for the authentic identification at species and varietal level. The studied characters under LM and SEM were further statistically analyzed through ANOVA, PCA, Pearson Correlation Matrix to understand the interrelationship among the taxa and pollen grains were recorded monad, isopolar and radiosymmetric type. Pantoporate, tricolpate, tricolporate aperture type and exine ornamentation appears to be valuable and unique characters were found useful tool for the delimitation and differentiation of closely related taxa.