American Journal of Plant Sciences, 2013, 4, 324-332 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2013.42043 Published Online February 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ajps) Pollen Production in Relation to Ecological Class of Some Hydrophytes and Marsh Plants Somnath Bhowmik*, Badal Kumar Datta Plant Taxonomy and Biodiversity Laboratory, Department of Botany, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, India. Email: *[email protected] Received December 5th, 2012; revised January 5th, 2013; accepted January 12th, 2013 ABSTRACT The knowledge of quantitative production and method of dispersal give some idea about the frequency of presence of particular plant pollen grains in the atmosphere or hydrosphere. Pollen production in terms of number per anther along with the particular anther number per flower, anther length, pollen grain size, mode of anther dehiscence was deter- mined for 51 angiospermous hydrophytes and marsh species occurring in Tripura, India. Pollen production is species specific. The level of pollen production directly related to the anther size and anther number per flower. However, no such correlation could be drawn between pollen production and size of pollen grains. Most of the hydrophytic taxa of the present investigation are anemophilous. The anemophilous taxa are characterized by high pollen production. How- ever no correlation could be drawn from the present study between the high pollen production and mode of anther de- hiscence as in all the studied taxa they show only one kind of anther dehiscence. Keywords: Pollen Production; Hydrophytes; Ecological Class 1. Introduction as to several other disciplines like Agriculture, Forestry, Medicine. Pollen productivity may be referred to as the Studies on pollen, an organ which is considered to be less number of pollen grains per produced per anther of a influenced by changing ecological condition, are relevant flower. The total pollen production of a particular plant is to various branches of Botany as well as to several other disciplines like Agriculture, Forestry, Medicine. Pollen dependent upon the number of anthers per flower and the productivity may be referred to as the number of pollen number of flowers per plant. The pollen production in an grains per produced per anther of a flower. The total pol- individual flower is fixe well before anthesis, and thus len production of a particular plant is dependent upon the pollen presentation is a matter of doling out fixed quanti- number of anthers per flower and the number of flowers ties of floral reward. However plants can alter the pres- per plant. The pollen production in an individual flower entation schedule by sequential dehiscence of the anther is fixed well before anthesis, and thus pollen presentation or by anther time release mechanism [1]. A plant during is a matter of doling out fixed quantities of floral reward. its entire flowering period produces large amount of pol- However, plants can alter the presentation schedule by len grains most of which are not involved in fertilization. sequential dehiscence of the anther or by a within anther These large amount of pollen released may float in air or time release mechanism [1]. A plant during its entire water and finally get deposited in earth’s surface. The flowering period produces large amount of pollen grains knowledge of quantitative production and method of most of which are not involved in fertilization. These dispersal give some idea about the frequency of presence large amount of pollen released may float in air or water of particular plant pollen grains in the atmosphere or hy- and finally get deposited in earth’s surface. The knowl- drosphere [2]. A plant during its entire flowering period edge of quantitative production and method of dispersal produces large amount of pollen grains most of which are give some idea about the frequency of presence of par- not involved in fertilization. These large amount of pol- ticular plant pollen grains in the atmosphere or hydro- len released may float in air or water and finally get de- sphere [2]. Studies on pollen an organ which is consid- posited in earth’s surface. Waterborne pollen and spores ered to be less influenced by changing ecological condi- could come in contact with plants, animals and human tion, are relevant to various branches of Botany as well beings, and affect them [3]. But the literature related to pollen production of aquatic and marshy land plants are *Corresponding author. scarce except a few [4,5]. The anthesis and Pollen release Copyright © 2013 SciRes. AJPS Scrophulariaceae Pontederiaceae Polygonaceae Onagraceae , , Nymphaeceae Nelumbonaceae scan- scan- Limno- Limno- indica Menynthaceae Nym- Nym- pubes- pubes- , , , , Lythraceae Ipomoea Polygonum , , Lentibulariaceae (45,350 (45,350 Hydroleaceae Figure Figure Rotala and and , , Hydrocharitacea Floscopa showed moderate moderate showed nucifera Haloragaceae auriculata orientale Nymphaea 325 Fabaceae , , to 52,301 pollen pollen 52,301 to Droseraceaa micrantha asiatica fistulosa Convolvulaceae vaginalis Commelinaceae stellata Clusiaceae Persicaria Asteraceae Hygrophila Centella Ipomoea , , , , Apiaceae Nymphaea , , Amaranthaceae ; even within the same ge- ge- same the within even ; Alismataceae Nymphaea Acanthaceae rubra , , . Highest pollen production production pollen Highest . nucifera cristatum maritimus Monochoria and , plant families of Tripura, India. India. Tripura, of families plant Figure 1. Pollen production of some hydrophytes and marsh marsh and hydrophytes some of production Pollen 1. Figure Log pollen/Flower Log show high pollen production. production. pollen high show flava Rumex ). The members of Nelumbonaceae, Nym- Nym- Nelumbonaceae, of members The ). micrantha Nymphaea Nelumbo , , , , pollen production. While, While, production. pollen charis Nymphoides dens aquatica cens phaea Nelumbo work. present the in recorded with moderate and 19 species low pollen productivity is is productivity pollen low species 19 and moderate with Table 1 Table angiosperms 12 species with high pollen productivity, 20 20 productivity, pollen high with species 12 angiosperms pollen/anther). Among the 51 aquatic and marsh land land marsh and aquatic 51 the Among pollen/anther). pollen/anther) followed by by followed pollen/anther) per anther was estimated in Nelumbo nucifera (52,301 (52,301 nucifera Nelumbo in estimated was anther per ). The number of pollen grain per anther varied between between varied anther per grain pollen of number The ). grains in in grains Persicaria orientale Persicaria in grains pollen 169 1 top most pollen producer among the studied taxa ( taxa studied the among producer pollen most top phaeaceae, Convolvulaceae and Alismataceae rank the the rank Alismataceae and Convolvulaceae phaeaceae, nus ( nus to genus; species to species to species genus; to anther varies rather widely from family to family; genus genus family; to family from widely rather varies anther is evident that pollen production in terms of number per per number of terms in production pollen that evident is cies which were distributed over twenty three families, it it families, three twenty over distributed were which cies From the pollen production figure obtained for 51 spe- spe- 51 for obtained figure production pollen the From 3.1. Total Pollen Production Production Pollen Total 3.1. 3. Results Results 3. (VII) Wetland helophytes. helophytes. Wetland (VII) drophytes; (VI) Emergent anchored hydrophytes and and hydrophytes anchored Emergent (VI) drophytes; anchored hydrophytes; (V) Floating shoots anchored hy- hy- anchored shoots Floating (V) hydrophytes; anchored Submerged anchored hydrophytes; (IV) Floating leaved leaved Floating (IV) hydrophytes; anchored Submerged These are (I) Floating Hydrophytes; (II) Suspended; (III) (III) Suspended; (II) Hydrophytes; Floating (I) are These ass of Some Hydrophytes and Marsh Plants Marsh and Hydrophytes Some of ass AJPS AJPS isced anthers from plants plants from anthers isced The plants species for the the for species plants The n production of terrestrial terrestrial of production n ledge of anthesis and pol- pol- and anthesis of ledge Linn was also also was Linn strumarium dehiscence, pollen liberation liberation pollen dehiscence, ther time release mechanism mechanism release time ther Copyright © 2013 SciRes. 2013 © Copyright grouped into 7 different “morpho-ecologic” classes [21]. [21]. classes “morpho-ecologic” different 7 into grouped plants so collected for the present investigation was was investigation present the for collected so plants len grains size were studied. The hydrophytes and marsh marsh and hydrophytes The studied. were size grains len ured through a 10× hand lens. The morphology and pol- pol- and morphology The lens. hand 10× a through ured collected randomly from different flowers were meas- meas- were flowers different from randomly collected grains. Filament and anther length from mature stamens stamens mature from length anther and Filament grains. pollen grain size was measured for 50 randomly chosen chosen randomly 50 for measured was size grain pollen standard ocular micrometer. For each taxon under study, study, under taxon each For micrometer. ocular standard torial axes) was measured in glycerine jelly [20] using using [20] jelly glycerine in measured was axes) torial the polar view, and for bilateral ones the polar and equa- equa- and polar the ones bilateral for and view, polar the pollen grains (for radio symmetric ones the diameter in in diameter the ones symmetric radio (for