Ana Carolina Mezzonato-Pires

Pollen morphology and detailed sexine of Passiflora subgenus Astrophea (Passifloraceae)

From the palynological perspective, Passiflora subgen. Astrophea shows itself as a very interesting subgenus. The main aim of this study is to provide micro-characters that allow the recognition of taxa and the circumscription of the Passiflora subgen. Astrophea. The pollen was acetolyzed, measured, described and illustrated under light microscopy and non-acetolyzed pollen grains were analyzed in scanning electron microscopy. Quantitative data were subjected to multivariate analysis. The pollen grains are 6-colporate, 3-endoapertures clearly lalongate, unique for each pair of ectoaperture; tectate, partially tectate or semitectate exine, when present, muri may be only around the apertures or they may be remaining muri, continuous or discontinuous, simplicolumellate or duplicolumellate. The results defined four types of pollen, based on sexine, three of which were recognized by multivariate analysis. This study shows the importance of pollen morphology for the taxonomy of group, allowing a reassessment of the subgenus currently established and, hence, a better understanding of the recognized phylogenetic lineages.

Taxonomy, palynology and distribution notes of seven species of Passiflora L. (Passifloraceae s.s.) newly recorded from Brazil

Abstract Passiflora subgenus Astrophea is one of the five recognised subgenera of Passiflora. Brazil presents ca. 26 species of this subgenus with the majority distributed in the Amazon Basin. During the ongoing taxonomic revision of the Brazilian species of subg. Astrophea, seven species previously unknown for the country were recorded: Passiflora amoena, P. fuchsiiflora, P. jussieui, P. ovata, P. plumosa, P. quelchii, and P. tessmannii. The new records expand the species distribution ranges, especially for P. plumosa, which was exclusively known from its type locality and P. quelchii, which was known only for southeastern Guyana. The authors provide taxonomic and palynological descriptions, distribution maps and illustrations for these species, in the hope that the knowledge and understanding of Brazilian Passifloraceae s.s. will be improved.

Pollen morphology of selected species of Piriqueta Aubl. (Passifloraceae sensu lato)

abstract Passifloraceae sensu lato currently encompasses Malesherbiaceae, Turneraceae and Passifloraceae sensu stricto, with Malesherbiaceae being the sister of Turneraceae + Passifloraceae sensu stricto. In Brazil, Turneraceae is represented by the genera Piriqueta and Turnera, and Piriqueta in turn is represented by 38 species. The main objective of this study was to characterise the pollen grains of species of Piriqueta, since few works have addressed the pollen morphology of this genus. The intention is to contribute to a more precise delimitation of taxa, compare pollen morphology between Piriqueta and Passifloraceae sensu lato, and provide characters for future phylogenetic analyses. The pollen of 14 species of Piriqueta occurring in Brazil was studied. The pollinic material was acetolysed, measured and described, electron photomicrographs were taken, and multivariate analysis was conducted. The species analysed are characterised by having pollen grains that are in monads, isopolar, medium sized (25.0–49.9 µm) or large (50.0–100.0 µm), 3-colporate, with short or long colpi, a lalongate or nearly circular endoaperture, and a microreticulate or reticulate sexine, and are heterobrochate and simplicolumellate. The principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) confirm the separation of species using quantitative pollen grain variables. In relation to the patterns of the exine and the number of apertures, the genus Piriqueta differs from Passiflora in possessing pollen that is 3-colporate and has only a microreticulate or reticulate exine. The analysis of pollen morphology of the genera Piriqueta and Passiflora does not support the inclusion of the family Turneraceae (here represented by Piriqueta) in Passifloraceae sensu lato since the pollen characters do not correspond to the monophyletic grouping of Passifloraceae sensu lato.

Distribution extensions for species of the Passiflora subgenus Astrophea (DC.) Masters from Brazil (Passifloraceae s.s.)

New records for species of Passiflora subgenus Astrophea are reported, contributing to the increasing distribution knowledge of the Passifloraceae in Brazil. These records are: Passiflora balbis Feuillet, from the state of Amazonas, Passiflora ceratocarpa F. Silveira, from the states of Amapá and Amazonas, Passiflora cerradensis Sacco, from Minas Gerais, Passiflora costata Mast., from Acre, Amapá, Mato Grosso, and Roraima, and Passiflora mansoi (Mart.) Mast., from Maranhão and Tocantins.