Pollen morphological studies in the family Sapindaceae from parts of Ibadan in Oyo State and Moro in Osun Sate in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Pollen grains of nine (9) species of Sapindaceae randomly collected from parts of Oyo and Osun States of Nigeria were prepared using the acetolysis method and studied with the aim of identifying characters of taxonomic relevance in the family. Results showed that the pollen grains were either triporate or tricolporate. Pore or aperture was found to be a homologous character and the presence or absence of Os and/or their ornamentations can be reliably used to delimit the species. The largest pollen (46.94 x 51.7 μm) was observed in Cardiospermum halicacabum L. while the smallest pollen was observed in Blighia sapida K.D Koenig (16.80 x 15.84 μm). The exine pattern may be reticulate (Paullinia pinnata L), striate (Allophylus africanus P. Beauv, Blighia sapida, B. unijugata Baker, Deinbolia pinnata Schumach & Thonn. and Lecaniodiscus cupanioides Planch ex Benth) or reticulofoveolate in Cardiospermum grandiflorum Swartz and C. Halicacabum.