Vania Gonçalves-Esteves

Palynotaxonomy of Passiflora L. subg. Decaloba (DC.) Rchb. (Passifloraceae) in Brazil

The palynological study of 21 taxa of Passiflora L. subg. Decaloba (DC.) Rchb. (Passifloraceae) in Brazil aimed to contribute to a better characterization, as well as the circumscription and delimitation of the subgenus, species and subspecies. The pollen grains were acetolysed, measured, described and illustrated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The taxa have large or medium-sized pollen grains, isopolar, prolate spheroidal, oblate spheroidal, spheroidal or suprolate, 12-colpate, 12-colporate or 6-colporate, 3 or 6 mesocolpes, and presence or absence of opercules, pseudopercules and secondary opercules, microreticulate (P. truncata) and heteroreticulate exine in the other species. An identification key with pollen characteristics is presented, showing the importance of pollen characteristics for Passiflora taxonomy.

Palinotaxonomia das espécies de Passiflora L. subg. Decaloba (DC.) Rchb. (Passifloraceae) no Sudeste do Brasil

The palynotaxonomic study of eight species Passiflora L. subg. Decaloba (DC.) Rchb. (Passifloraceae) aimed to contribute to a better characterization, as well as the circumscription and delimitation of this subgenus in Southeastern Brazil. The pollen grains were acetolysed, measured, described, and illustrated using light microscopy. For details observations of surface and aperture, pollen grains not acetolysed were analyzed in scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The data obtained were statistically analyzed according to size of the samples. The species analysed in this study own large or mediun sizes pollen grains, isopolar, prolate spheroidal, spheroidal or subprolate, 12-colporate, 12-colpate for P. suberosa L., or 6-colporate, with pseudopercules, heteroreticulate exine. An identification key with pollinic characters is presented.

Nesting and use of pollen resources by Tetrapedia diversipes Klug (Apidae) in Atlantic Forest areas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in different stages of regeneration

Nesting and use of pollen resources by Tetrapedia diversipes Klug (Apidae) in Atlantic Forest areas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in different stages of regeneration. The nesting in trap-nests and use of pollen sources in larval food by Tetrapedia diversipes Klug, 1810 (Apidae) was compared between regenerating areas of Atlantic Forest. The study was conducted between April 2008 and October 2009 at Uniao Biological Reserve, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. T. diversipes nested in 66 trap-nests and showed a peak of nesting during the months of highest rainfall. The most frequent pollen type in brood cells during the wet season was Dalechampia sp. 1. During the dry season, the type Ludwigia sp. was the most frequent, followed by Dalechampia sp. 2. The high frequency of Dalechampia and Ludwigia species in the larval food, observed in both habitats and in the two seasons could be considered relevant for T. diversipes, suggesting highly selective diet based primarily on two plant species unrelated, but similar in size of pollen grains.

Floral structure and palynology of Podostemum weddellianum (Podostemaceae: Malpighiales)

The family Podostemaceae is exceptional among angiosperms because of its uncommon biology and morphology, the absence of double fertilisation and endosperm, and the obscure distinction between root, stem, and leaf. The highly modified morphology produced by reductions and specialisations is reflected in the multiple positions that the Podostemaceae has occupied in different classification systems. In the family, structural studies are mainly related to the vegetative body. In the genus Podostemum, structural data are related to the development and embryology of Podostemumceratophyllum Michx., which, with P. weddellianum, has pre-anthesis cleistogamy. P. weddellianum is analysed for the first time with regard to floral structure and palynology. The presence of silica in the spathella, the apical septum in the ovary, dyads and pseudomonads, unimodal embryo sac and chasmogamous flowers with the possibility of self-pollination contribute to the characterisation of the Podostemoideae and the search for relationships among Podostemaceae and the clusioids.

Palynotaxonomy of Vernonanthura H. Rob. (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) species from Southeast Brazil

The present work studied the pollinic characteristics of 22 species of Vernonanthura from Southeast Brazil. The pollen grains were acetolysed, measured, described and ilustrated under light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Based on the results, Vernonanthura was considered an euripolinic genus as pollen grains presented distinctive characteristics, mainly related to the ornamentation, the size and apertures of the pollen grains, which may serve as a further tool in the delimitation of the species.

Palinotaxonomia de espécies de Chrysolaena H. Rob., Echinocoryne H. Rob. e Stenocephalum Sch. Bip. (Vernonieae-Compositae) ocorrentes no sudeste do Brasil

A pollen study of 11 species distributed in three genera, Chrysolaena H. Rob., Echinocoryne H. Rob. and Stenocephalum Sch. Bip. belonging to the Vernoniinae subtribe was carried out to characterize the pollen of these species and evaluate their taxonomic position. The pollen grains were acetolysed, analyzed and illustrated using light microscopy. For further details of pollen surface and aperture, non-acetolysed pollen grains were analysed by means of scanning and transmition electron microscopy. The genera were separated by a pollen key in two major groups using organization and number of lacunae that form the lophate pattern. In the first group, Echinocoryne H. Rob. species have pollen grains with 30 lacunae and in a second group, Chrysolaena H. Rob. and Stenocephalum Sch. Bip. species with 29 lacunae. Echinocoryne H. Rob. species are palynologically homogenous and only Echinocoryne holosericea (Mart. ex DC.) H. Rob. and Echinocoryne schwenkiaefolia (Mart. ex DC.) H. Rob. can be separated from Echinocoryne pungens (Gardn.) H. Rob. and Echinocoryne stricta (Gardn.) H. Rob. The last two could not be distinguished using pollen characters. Our datashow that pollen characters alone are not enough to define the three genera.

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.

Palinologia de espécies de Solanum L. (Solanaceae A. Juss.) ocorrentes nas restingas do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

In this study 21 taxa of Solanum L. were investigated for palynological characterization and to contribute to the Pollen Catalog of the Flora of the Rio de Janeiro restingas. The taxa analysed were Solanum affine Sendtn., Solanum americanum Mill. var. americanum,Solanum argenteum Dunal ex Poir., Solanum aturense Dunal, Solanum caavurana Vell., Solanum capsicoides All., Solanum carautae Carv., Solanum cordifolium Dunal, Solanum curvispinum Dunal, Solanum echidnaeforme Dunal, Solanum gardneri Sendtn.,Solanum indigoferum A. St.-Hil., Solanum insidiosum Mart., Solanum mauritianum Scop., Solanum paludosum Moric., Solanum paniculatum L., Solanum paratyense Vell., Solanum pseudoquina A.St.-Hil., Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam., Solanum torvum Sw. and Solanum velleum Sw. Pollen grains were measured, described and illustrated using light microscopy. Non-acetolysed pollen grains were analyzed using scanning electronic microscopy to confirm descriptions of aperture and sexine ornamentation. The pollen grains are small or medium sized, isopolar, subprolate to oblate spheroidal, tricolporate with granulate, rugulate-granulate or scabrate sexine. The results show that the pollen of these taxa are rather heterogeneous in shape and in attributes of aperture and sexine ornamentation which can be used in the taxonomy of the genus.

Palinotaxonomia de espécies de Lepidaploa (Cass.) Cass. (Vernoniinae - Compositae) ocorrentes no Sudeste do Brasil

The pollinic study of 23 species of Lepidaploa that occur in southeastern Brazil was done with the objetive of contributing to the pollinic characterization of these species and also evaluating its taxonomic position. The pollen grains were acetolysed, measured, described and ilustrated under light microscopy. For further details of pollen surface and aperture, non acetolysed pollen grains were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and, subsequently, electron-micrographed. Characteristics of pollen grains like shape, size and constitution of exine and aperture were studied. The pollen of the species analysed in this study varies from medium or large in size, isopolar, suboblate, oblate spheroidal or prolate spheroidal, subtriangular ambit, small or large polar area, 3-colporate with echinolophate surface. A key to identify the studied species was made based on pollinic data. Pollen grains from Lepidaploa have four main brochus organization pattern of the echinolophate exine. Three of these patterns can be divided into subtypes according to the apertural lacune shape.

Myrsine parvifolia (Primulaceae) in sandy coastal plains marginal to Atlantic rainforest: a case of pollination by wind or by both wind and insects?

This study examined the pollination ecology of Myrsine parvifolia in an area of sandy coastal plain, namely restinga. Male and female plants were distributed in an aggregated form with sex ratio of 1.7♂:1♀. Flowers are open dish-shaped, greenish-white, odorless, and devoid of nectaries. The female flower has a well-exposed sessile stigma. The anthers of the male flower release pollen grains in a powdery cloud. The pollen grains are small, dry, prolate spheroidal, 3–5-colpate and have a scabrous exine. We concluded that M. parvifolia is wind pollinated by: the presence of pollen grains in the air; fruit production in inflorescences isolated from access by biotic pollinators, but not by wind; the female flowers were not visited by biotic agents. Our results reinforce the hypothesis that pollination by wind is the main pollination system in Myrsine. Pollen limitation has been recorded for M. parvifolia and also for other dioecious insect-pollinated species from restinga as Guapira opposita and Tapirira guianensis, but not for Coccoloba arborescens and Protium brasiliense. Natural and manual fruit set of all of them was low, suggesting that other factors, in addition to pollen limitation, are involved in the regulation of fruit production. Studies on floral biology may help to clarify the variable rates of pollen limitation found for the dioecious species from restinga. However, as they are woody and perennial, and therefore pass through several reproductive cycles throughout life, factors that influence female reproductive success may vary over the reproductive events, due to abiotic and biotic conditions.