Pollen Characters of Old World Gesneriaceae (Cyrtandroideae)

Pollen of 108 species out of 18 genera (from all tribes of the Old World Gesneriaceae [subf. Cyrtandroideae]) was examined using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The pollen grains are small sized, isopolar and 3-colpate or 3-colporate. In equatorial view they are mostly spheroidal (rarely suboblate or oblate), in polar view circular or subangular. The most variable character is the exine structure and -sculpture. The tectum is perforate, microreticulate, coarsely reticulate or rugulate. Further important characters of the tectum are (a) the presence or absence of conical supratectate sculptural elements, and (b) the width of lumina being either equal or exhibiting different at the apo- and mesocolpium. Ten exine types are distinguished. Some genera and species can be well referred to a special exine type, e.g., Aeschynanthus, Epithema, Stauranthera grandiflora; in other genera several exine types occur, e.g., in the large and heterogeneous genus Didymocarpus. The pollen morphology of the two large subfamilies Cyrtandroideae and Gesnerioideae is compared.