Palynological Study of Some Species of the Genus Alchemilla L. in Iran; With Emphasis on Its Systematic Implications for Infrageneric Classification

ABSTRACT In this study, the pollen characteristics of 12 species, belonging to six sections: Erectae Fröhner, Ultravulgares Fröhner, Alchemilla , Pubescentes Buser, Splendentes Buser, and Alpinae Buser ex Camus, were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. To obtain complete pollen data of Alchemilla species in Iran, several characteristics were also evaluated for 18 species from the previous study. The results of this supplementary investigation led to the clarification of various aspects of pollen characteristics of the genus Alchemilla in Iran. An identification key based on pollen diagnostic characters was provided. The pollen morphology datasets from a total of 30 species were subjected to cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA) for quantitative traits, and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) for qualitative traits. In the multivariate analysis of quantitative traits, the boundaries of the sections were generally vague, indicating overlap of pollen traits among most species. On the other hand, the PCoA results divided the studied species into six groups belonging to six sections, showing a clear multivariate space without overlap. This study also briefly discusses the evolutionary concept of pollen traits in the Rosoideae subfamily.