Analysis of Palynological Parameters of Selected Species of Family Lamiaceae explored from District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir Pakistan

Purpose: Recent research work elaborated palynological study of some selected species of family Lamiaceae which was conducted in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. Methods: The selected 6 species of family Lamiaceae were collected from District Bhimber. The flowers were plucked from the plants. The anthers were spaced apart and kept in a glass tube having acetic acid. The anthers were poisoned with the glass rod to set a homogeneous mixture and then purified it. Then slides were prepared and purified and add 1% safranin to stain the slides and study these slides under light microscope, and then add some drops of mixture on slides, which were covered with cover slip. Results: Then observations were done under light microscope with both quantitative and qualitative characters. In qualitative characters pollen shape, number of Colpi, sculpturing types were examined. After qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis was applied for the measurement of Colpus length, polar and equatorial axis, polar to equatorial ratio. The study represented that the shape of pollen grains were prolate, spheroidal and sub-spheroidal which expressed no prominent change in pollen shapes of six studied taxa. The qualitative study indicated that pollens can be divided widely into two groups depended on the number of colpi, (1) hexa-zonocolpate and (2) tri-zonocolpate. The greatest size of pollen 38.73 was reported in Ocimum basilicum and the shortest 20.41 in Mentha longifolia. These change in size was occasionally is due to the eco-physiological changes in these habitats. It was also observed that the members of family Lamiaceae bireticulate perforate exine pollen surface. The microscopic micrographs of pollen showed diverse changes between the members of Lamiaceae family but some features were remained constant as tri-zonocalpate and reticulate exine. The quantitative characters of pollens were documented and indicated that highest colpus length was measured against Ocimum basilicum (38.73μm) while lowest was explored against Leucas aspera (13.33μm). Mentha longifolia and Ocimum basilicum indicated maximum number (6) of Colpi as compared to other four observed species. The polar axis measurement was also indicated highest (56.63 μm) by Ocimum basilicum and Leucas aspera expressed lowest (17.15μm). The equatorial axis value was maximum (55.81μm) shown by Ocimum basilicum plant while minimum equatorial axis value (11.66μm) was measured against Leucas cephalotes. It was observed that the fertility rate was maximum (63%) shown by Leucas aspera while maximum (42%) sterility rate shown by Mentha arvensis. Conclusion: It was concluded that These findings were expressed a lot of variation in all characters of plant species. It means that the paleontological study depicted lot of diversity among plants species as indicated Ocimum basilicum Leucas aspera indicated minimum diversity among observed characters. This study will help us to explore taxonomic characters of family Lamiaceae.