ﺑﺴﻢ ﺍﷲ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ Pollen Morphology of Selected Plants from Erkwit (Eastern Sudan) A thesis submitted to the University of Khartoum in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Botany By Hind Abdel Wahab Farah Ahmed B.Sc. Honours Botany University of Khartoum, 2004 Supervisor: Dr. Dafaalla Ali Ibrahim Department of Botany Faculty of Science University of Khartoum May, 2008 ﺑِﺴْﻢِ اﻟﻠﱠﻪِ اﻟﺮﱠﺣْﻤَﻦِ اﻟﺮﱠﺣِﻴﻢِ ﻗﺎل ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ: ﴿وَأَرْﺳَﻠْﻨَﺎ اﻟﺮﱢﻳَﺎحَ ﻟَﻮَاﻗِﺢَ ﻓَﺄَﻧﺰَﻟْﻨَﺎ ﻣِﻦَ اﻟﺴﱠﻤَﺎء ﻣَﺎء ﻓَﺄَﺳْﻘَﻴْﻨَﺎآُﻤُﻮﻩُ وَﻣَﺎ أَ ﻧ ﺘُ ﻢْ ﻟَ ﻪُ ﺑﺨَﺎزِﻧِﻴﻦَ﴾ ﺳﻮرة اﻟﺤﺠﺮ اﻻﻳﺔ (22) DEDECATION To the Soul of my father… To my mother… To my sister … To my best friend… With love,,,, i Acknowledgements Praise is to Allah (the almighty who gave me the health, patience and power to carry out this work) and to the blessed profit Mohammed (piece and praise be upon him). This research is supported by a grant from the Association for The Promotion of Scientific Innovation to whom I am deeply indebted and thankful. I would like to thank The Sudanese National Heritage Society through whom I got the research grant. This study was conducted as M.Sc. research at Khartoum University, Faculty of Science, Botany Department under the supervision of Dr. Dafaalla Ali Ibrahim to whom I wish to express my grateful thanks for his encouragement, continuous support and valuable comments during this study. So I’m greatly indebted to him. I am also grateful to Dr. Saad Eldeen Elsammani for his kind support, to my uncle Dr. Abubakr Mohammed Ibrahim for his suggestions. My thanks are extended to the members of Biofertilization Department, National Center of Research and members of Botany Department, University of Khartoum, Faculty of Science whom supplied the space and time to conduct this research, deep special thank to Mohamed Abdalla, Ali and Randa and to my friends and colleagues for assisting and encouragement me on this work. Finally, thanks to all persons named or unnamed who helped me in one way or another during the period of this study. ii CONTENTS iii 2.3.5. Size …………….………..…….…….…………………..…... 17 Dedication 2.3.5.1. …………………………………………….Effect of different treatments in pollen grain....................... size …………. i17 Acknowledgements …………………………………………………… ii CHAPTERContents ………………………………………… THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS……….................... iii List of Figures …………………………………………..…....……..... vi 3.1. The study area ……………………………………………………. 19 List of Tables …… ……………………………………..…....……...... vii 3.1.1 Topography and geology …….…..……..……………………. 19 Abbreviation ………………………………….………..........……..... viii 3.1.2. Rainfall ……..……………..………………………………….. 20 Abstract ………………………………………..……………...........… Ix 3.1.3. Vegetation …………..……….……………………………….. 20 Abstract in Arabic …………………………………………………… iv 3.2. Chemical ………………………………………………………….. 23 3.2.1. 10 % Potassium Hydroxide ……………..….……………...… 23 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 3.2.2. Acetolysis mixture ………………………….…………........... 23 Introduction …………….…………………..………………………… 1 3.2.3. Glacial acetic acid ……………………………….……..…...… 23 Objective of the study …………………...……..…………………….. 3 3.2.4. Basic fuchsin …………………………..……………..……… 23 CHAPTER 3.2.5. Glycerin TWO: ……………..…………………….….……...……… LITERATURE REVIEW 23 3.2.6. 10 % Hydrochloric Acid …….………..………..……….…… 23 2.1. Palynology and Pollen analysis …….…………….……….……… 4 3.2.7. Lycopodium sp. spores tablets………………….….……….... 23 2.2. Pollen taxonomy ……..………………………………………..… 6 3.3. Equipment ………………………………..………….…………... 23 2.3. Pollen morphology …………………………………………..…… 7 3.4. Sampling ……………………………………………….…….…... 24 3.5. 2.3.1. The Shape Pollen ………………………………………………..………. Preparation ……………………..………….……........ 824 3.6. Measurements ………………….……………………….…….…. 26 2.3.2. Apertures ………………………………………….………… 10 3.7. 2.3.3. Species Exine description stratification...……………………………………….. and terminology ………………….………….… 1327 2.3.4. Sculpturing types (Ornamentation) ……………..….………… 15 iv CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS Family: Anacardiaceae ……………………………………….……...... 28 Family: Apocynaceae ……………………………….…..……..…....... 29 Family: Arecaceae …………………………………………..………… 30 Family: Asclepiadaceae ……………………………………..………… 31 Family: Balanitacea (Simarubaceae)……………… …………………… 32 Family: Capparidaceae ……………………………………..………… 33 Family: Ebenaceae …………………………………………..………… 36 Family: Euphorbiaceae ……………….……………………………….. 37 Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)………...………………..…………… 42 Family: Moraceae ………………………………..…………………….. 46 Family: Olacaceae ……………………………………………………… 49 Family: Oleaceae …………………………………………………..….. 50 Family: Rhamnaceae …………………………………………...…....... 51 Family: Salvadoraceae ………………………………………………… 52 Family: Sapindaceae …………………………………………..………. 53 Family: Tamaricaceae ……………..…………………………..……… 54 Family: Tiliaceae ………………………………………………...…….. 55 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION Discussion ………………………………………………………….… 59 CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………………... 64 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………65 v List of Figures Fig. (1) Polar (P) and equatorial (E) shape in pollen grains …………… 9 Fig. (2) Different kinds of pollen grains apertures ………………….… 12 Fig. (3) Exine Stratification of pollen grains …………………………... 14 Fig. (4) Pollen grains Sculpturing types ……………………….……… 16 Fig. (5) a. Size of grain before acetolysls …………………….….…… 62 Fig. (5) b. Size of grain after long time of acetolysls ………………… 62 Fig. (6) Effect of mounting in glycerin jelly ………………………..… 62 Fig. (7) a. Colour of grains after acetolysis …………………………… 63 Fig. (7) b. Colour of grains after staining …..…………………………. 63 vi List of Tables Table: (1) Pollen shapes using the correction factor……….………….. 58 vii Abbreviations -Abbreviations used in the text: E = Size in equatorial view. P = Size in polar view. L = Correction factor. Engl. = English language. Ar. = Arabic language. D = Diameter. LM = Light microscope. H = Herbarium material. F = Fresh material. Syn. = Synonym/s. Vetn. Name/s = Vernacular name/s. SEM = Scanning electron microscope. K = Conversion factor. -English equivalents of Arabic words: Jebel = Mountain. Khor = Seasonal stream. viii Abstract Pollen morphological descriptions and photographic illustrations based on light microscope analysis are provided for 30 species belonging to 18 families from Erkwit area in the eastern of Sudan. The pollen characteristics among species in the same family are similar to each other. The results indicate that pollen characters may be significant in taxonomical studies. The effect of various chemicals on the size of pollen grains was studied. The size of acetolysed grains was affected by the treatment prior to acetolysis, and the measurements taken were corrected by a correction factor (L), The correlation between pollen size and chemical treatments, as suggested previously by (Christensen, 1946), is confirmed by our data. ix Arabic abstract ﻤﻠﺨﺹ ﺍﻻﻁﺭﻭﺤﺔ ُﻓﺤﺼﺕ ﺍﻷ ﺸﻜﺎل ﺍﻟﻅﺎﻫﺭﻴﺔ ﻟﺤﺒﻭﺏ ﺍﻟﻠﻘﺎﺡ ﺒﻭﺍﺴﻁﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺠﻬﺭ ﺍﻟﻀﻭﺌﻲ ﻟـ 30 ﻨﻭﻉ ﻴﻨﺘﻤـﻲ ﻟـ18 ﻋﺎﺌﻠﺔ ﻤﻥ ﻤﻨﻁﻘﺔ ﺍﺭﻜﻭﻴﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺸﺭﻕ ﺍﻟﺴﻭﺩﺍﻥ ، ﻭﺘﻡ إﺭﻓﺎﻕ ﺍﻹﻴﻀﺎﺤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻔﻭﺘﻭﻏﺭﺍﻓﻴﺔ. ﺘﺸﺎﺒﻬﺕ ﺨﺼﺎﺌﺹ ﺤﺒﻭﺏ ﺍﻟﻠﻘﺎﺡ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻷﻨﻭﺍﻉ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺘﻨﺘﻤﻲ ﻟﻨﻔﺱ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﺌﻠﺔ ﻭﻫﺫﻩ ﺍﻟﻨﺘﺎﺌﺞ ﺫﺍﺕ ﺃﻫﻤﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺩﺭﺍﺴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﺼﻨﻴﻔﻴﺔ. ُﺩﺭﺱ ﺘﺄﺜﻴﺭ ﺍﻟﻤﻭﺍﺩ ﺍﻟﻜﻴﻤﻴﺎﺌﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺤﺠﻡ ﺤﺒﻭﺏ ﺍﻟﻠﻘﺎﺡ، ﻭ ُﺠﺩ ﺃﻥ ﺤﺒﻭﺏ ﺍﻟﻠﻘـﺎﺡ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺃﺨﻀﻌﺕ ﻟﻠﻤﻌﺎﻤﻠﺔ ﺒﻭﺍﺴﻁﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺤﻠﻴل ﺍﻟﺤﻤﻀﻲ ﻗﺩ ﺘﺄﺜﺭﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺤﺠـﻡ ﻟـﺫﻟﻙ ﺘـﻡ ﺘـﺼﺤﻴﺢ ﺍﻟﻘﻴﺎﺴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ُﺍ ﺨﺫﺕ ﺒﻭﺍﺴﻁﺔ ﻤﻌﺎﻤل ﺍﻟﺘﺼﺤﻴﺢ (L) ، ﺍﻟﻌﻼﻗـﺔ ﺒـﻴﻥ ﺤﺠـﻡ ﺤﺒـﻭﺏ ﺍﻟﻠﻘـﺎﺡ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﻤﻼﺕ ﺍﻟﻜﻴﻤﺎﺌﻴﺔ ﺍﹸ ﻗﺘﺭﺤﺕ ﻤﻥ ﻗﺒل ﻜﺭﻴﺴﺘﻴﻥ ﻓﻰ ﻋﺎﻡ 1946 ﻭﻗﺩ ﻭﺍﻓﻘﺕ ﺍﻟﻨﺘﺎﺌﺞ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺤـﺼل ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻫﺫﺍ ﺍﻟﺒﺤﺙ ﻤﻘﺘﺭﺤﺎﺘﻬﺎ. x ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Pollen grains are structures that house the male gametophyte generation of angiosperms and gymnosperms (seed plants). They are also the vehicles in which the male gamete genetic code is carried to the female gamete. Pollen grains develop in the anther in angiosperms. The pollen grains travels and deposits on the stigma of a receptive flower. In gymnosperms, pollen develops in the male cone, travels, and fertilizes the ovules in the female cones to produce seeds. Each pollen grain consists of the two celled male haploid plant enclosed in a thickened wall. The casing that houses the male gametophyte has a very complex structure which reflect the specific species' functional adaptations. The exine is the outer layer of a living pollen grain; it composed of sporopollenin and consists of complex polymers with a basic formula [C90H142O36] n with small quantities of polysaccharides, (Birks and Birks, 1980). Sporopollenin is chemically stable and resistant to almost all kinds of environmental damage. Exine is equipped with apertures and is divided into two sub layers: the outermost sexine and the unsculptured underlying nexine. The sexine has surfaces that are sculptured in elaborate ways, with reticulately arranged perforations; which give the exine an amorphous granular appearance. The inner layer of a living pollen grain is called the intine. It is composed of cellulose and is similar in construction to ordinary plant cell walls. A layer called the endexine separates the sexine and intine. The endexine has a laminated appearance (Fig. 3). Pollen grains are generally classified according to their physical appearance. There are three criteria for classification: 1 1) The number and position of the apertures. 2) The shape of the pollen grain as a whole. 3) The fine elaborate structure on the sexine. Apertures are any missing parts of the exine, which are independent of the exine pattern. Apertures are big and they cut across the fine structure pattern on the surface of the pollen grain. There are two types of apertures: pori or pores are mostly isodiametric apertures, although, they can be slightly elongated