Palynological Investigation of Some Trifolium L. (Fabaceae) Species Distributed in Şanlıurfa

Abstract

In this study, the pollen morphology of 5 species (Trifolium boissieri Guss. ex-Soy.-Will. & Godr., T. dasyurum C.Presl, T. pauciflorum d'Urv., T. scabrum L., and T. spumosum L.) belonging to the genus Trifolium L. from the Fabaceae family, distributed in Şanlıurfa province, was examined with light and electron microscopes. Within the framework of the palynological study, pollen shapes, ornamentations, pore and colpus lengths and widths were determined and their measurements were given. Pollen grains are generally monad in structure, have trizonocolporate aperture, and subprolate to prolate-spheroidal shape. Ornamentation generally shows significant differences in polar and equatorial regions. In the pollen grains examined, perforate, psilate-perforate, and reticulate ornamentation is seen in the polar region, while microreticulate and reticulate ornamentation is dominant in the equatorial region. While the polar axis lengths were determined to be between 38.67-29.19 μm on average, the equatorial axis length was determined to be between 33.79-23.45 μm on average. As a result of the study, it was determined that characters such as pollen shape, pollen size, and surface ornamentation differed among species and these were the characters that could have taxonomic value in the systematic distinction of species.