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Comparative pollen morphology of the Iberian species of Pulicaria (Asteraceae, Inuleae, Inulinae) and its taxonomic significance

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Abstract

To better understand the taxonomy of Pulicaria, the pollen wall architecture of the six Iberian species were investigated using light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The exine structure of Pulicaria odora was also investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Statistical analysis was performed to distinguish taxonomically significant morphometric information from all the measured parameters of pollen grains. It was found that the exine sculpture characters, with special importance paid to the spines, were the most useful of all characters to define Pulicaria pollen types and separate the species. Three pollen types distinguishable through the spines morphology and the inter-spinular sculpture are described: P. microcephala pollen type (incl. P. microcephala), P. vulgaris pollen type (incl. P. vulgaris), and P. dysenterica pollen type (incl. P. dysenterica, P. odora, P. paludosa and P. sicula). A dichotomous key to these Pulicaria pollen types is proposed. The distribution of P. dysenterica, P. odora, P. paludosa and P. sicula in more than one leaf node in the classification tree reveals that the pollen grains of these species are difficult to segregate. Therefore, the construction of a satisfactory dichotomous key to the P. dysenterica pollen type species is not feasible. Yet, the different spines apex morphology between P. microcephala and P. paludosa and the existence of significant differences in five of the eight studied quantitative pollen characters of these two taxa, supports the opinion that the Berlengas Islands endemic P. microcephala should be accepted as a separate species. In addition, the differences among the spines morphology of P. vulgaris, P. microcephala, and the other four Iberian (and European) species, strengthen the conclusion that the section Pulicaria is non-monophyletic.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the curators of BC, BCN, COI, LISE, LISI, LISU, MA, PO and SALA for facilities in studying the herbarium vouchers. This work was supported by grants from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. (Laboratory of Electron Microscopy and Palynology) Department of Life Sciences, and Centre for Functional Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Apartado 3046, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal

    António Pereira Coutinho, Diana Sá da Bandeira & Augusto M. Dinis

  2. CIMO, Mountain Research Center, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, 5301-855, Bragança, Portugal

    Carlos F. Aguiar

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  1. António Pereira Coutinho
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Correspondence to António Pereira Coutinho.

Appendix

Appendix

Studied specimens

Pulicaria dysenterica (L.) Gaertn.

Portugal. Beira Litoral: Aveiro, Ílhavo, 30. VII. 1993, Armando, Serra and Loureiro s. n. (PO: 55428); Leiria, Pinhal do Urso, 12. VIII. 1976, Queirós 13777 (COI). Estremadura: Alenquer, 12. VII. 1973, A. Fernandes et al. 12714 (COI); Rio Maior, 31. VIII. 1961, Bento-Rainha 5054 (LISE: 65844).

Spain. Andalucia: Granada, Guadix, 29. VIII. 1977, E. Rico s. n. (SALA: 13380). Asturias: Oviedo, Sto del Barco, 29. VIII. 1978, E. Rico s. n. (SALA: 19318). Cantabria: Puente Viesgo, 29. VIII. 2005, M. Ladero and F. J. Glez. Iglesias s. n. (SALA: 110386).

Pulicaria microcephala Lange

Portugal. Estremadura: Berlenga, 24. VI. 1924, Mendonça s. n. (COI); idem, 30. VIII. 1955, Moersfehrt 7775 (COI); idem, Pedro and Costa 24192 (LISI); idem 30. VII. 1947, Bento-Rainha 1425 (LISE: 24664); idem, 14. VI. 1979, Vasconcellos and Fernandes, s. n. (LISI).

Pulicaria odora (L.) Rchb.

Portugal. Algarve: Lugar da Fornalha, 15. V. 1985, Moura 2766 (COI). Beira Baixa: Vila Velha de Rodão, 7. VII. 1971, Queirós 11786 (COI). Beira Litoral: Cantanhede, Portunhos, 4. V. 1997, Rosa s. n. (COI). Minho: Afife, VI. 1959, Punter 99 (LISE: 65839).

Spain. Castilla y Léon: Salamanca, El Bodón, 22. VI. 1978, E. Rico s. n. (SALA: 14229); Burgos, Valle de Mena, Aparicio et al. s. n. (SALA: 93308). Estremadura: Caceres, Cañaveral, 28. V. 1978, E. Rico s. n. (SALA: 13215). País Basco: Bizcaia, 5. VII. 1982, Aizpurú and Catalán 20988 (MA: 715909).

Pulicaria paludosa Link

Portugal. Baixo Alentejo: Santiago do Cacém, 6. VI. 1968, Teles 1234 (LISE: 66878). Beira Litoral: Aveiro, Pateira de Fermentelos, 12. IX. 1978, Marques and Pereira 901 (COI). Trás-os-Montes: Moncorvo, Macedo de Cavaleiros, 6. VII. 1976, A. Matos, Pimenta and Forte 13707 (COI).

Spain. Andalucia: Cadiz, Los Barrios, 8. VI. 1990, E. Rico; Jaén, 10. VI. 1992, S. Peñafiel s. n. (MA: 714923). Castilla La-Mancha: Ciudad Real, 8. VII. 2001, C. F. Aragón and R. García 88927 (MA: 730026). Castilla y Léon: Salamanca, Fuenteguinaldo, 13. VII. 1976, E. Rico s. n. (SALA: 9599). Estremadura: Cáceres, Hervás, R. Gonzáles and J. Sánchez s. n. (SALA: 99717).

Pulicaria sicula (L.) Moris

Portugal. Algarve: Luz, 19. V. 1991 E. del Castillo s. n. (BC: 807481).

Spain. Andalucia: Almeria, 20. X. 1962, H. Rufino 1295 (BCN: 6964). Cataluña: Gerona, Castelló d’ Ampurias, 28. VIII. 1978, Molero s. n. (BCN: 31320).

France. Corse: Suartone aux Tre Padule, 3. X. 1979, R. Deschatres s. n. (BC: 639914)

Pulicaria vulgaris Gaertner

Portugal. Trás-os-Montes, Macedo de Cavaleiros, 9. IX. 1967, Rozeira and Costa s. n. (PO: 24598); Miranda-do-Douro, Constantim, 10. IX. 1967, Rozeira and Costa s. n. (PO: 24599).

Spain. Castilla y Léon: Segovia, Aldeonte, 8. IX. 1984, T. Romero s. n. (SALA: 41954). Castilla-La Mancha: Ciudad Real, Argamasillo de Calatrava, 7. VIII. 2000, C. Martín-Blanco & C. Santamaria 89018 (MA: 730025). País Basco: Alava, Marieta, 13. IX. 1984, G. Morante (SALA: 38024).

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Coutinho, A.P., Aguiar, C.F., Bandeira, D.S.d. et al. Comparative pollen morphology of the Iberian species of Pulicaria (Asteraceae, Inuleae, Inulinae) and its taxonomic significance. Plant Syst Evol 297, 171–183 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-011-0505-4

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