Korean J. Pl. Taxon. 1997; 27(3): 295-315.
Published online 1997 September 30.
A palynotaxonomic study of Asian Geranium L. ( Geraniaceae )
아시아산 쥐손이풀속 ( 쥐손이풀과 ) 의 화분분류학적 연구
박선주,김윤식
ABSTRACT
Pollen grains of 35 taxa of the genus Geranium in Asia have been examined by light and scanning electron microscope in order to review phylogeny and their taxonomic significances. The current study showed high variation in pollen grains size and exine sculpture (muri, lumina, excrescences distribution) among the examined taxa. Based on morphology and anatomy, the subgenus Geranium was seem to be an evolved group, compared with the subgenus Robertium. The subgenus Geranium had bigger pollen grains, wider muri, and more narrow luminar than the subgenus Robertium, which indicated the possiability of reverse evolution within the genus Geranium in Asia. Although palynological characters were useful to establish the phylogeny within the genus Geranium in Asia, however, they were not to be useful characters to distinguish each other in 35 taxa at levels of subgenus, section, and group.
