ISSN:
1615-6110
Keywords:
Zingiberales
;
Musaceae
;
Strelitzia
;
Pollen morphology
;
sporoderm
;
exine
;
intine
;
convergent evolution
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract The pollen wall ofStrelitzia reginae (Musaceae) consists of a nearly unsculptured, very thin, highly reduced, but coherent exine, and a thick intine (with an outer, channeled layer and an inner, largely homogeneous layer). After short, incomplete acetolysis the exine covers the remaining, severely shrinked protoplast as a folded, but unaltered “skin”, while the intine has totally disappeared. After extended acetolysis only the coherent, skin-like exine remains. Thus, the term “exine-less pollen” sometimes used for similar sporoderm structures in other genera ofZingiberales is misleading and should be substituted by the term “skin-like exine”. Surprisingly, the peculiar pollen wall ultrastructure ofStrelitzia and some otherZingiberales is very similar to that of some genera of theLaurales, an example for convergent evolution within the angiosperms.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00989008
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