Pollen Morphology of Some Turkish Crocus L. (Iridaceae) Species

Serap Işık1* and Emel Oybak Dönmez2**

1Hacettepe University, Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education, 2Department of Biology, 06800, Beytepe, Ankara-Turkey

*e-mail: serapi@hacettepe.edu.tr
**e-mail: polen@hacettepe.edu.tr

Received October 21, 2005; revision accepted March 15, 2006

Pollen grains of 29 Turkish taxa of genus Crocus L. belonging to Iridaceae were examined by light and electron microscopy. The pollen of Crocus is spheroidal in shape, with a thin exine characterized by echinate (spinulate)-microperforate sculpture and a relatively thick intine. Three types of aperture are recognized: a spiral furrow, more or less extensive furrows, and short furrows. Spiral furrows appear to be the most frequent aperture type among the Turkish Crocus species. Apertures vary within some species. The results are compared with those on the pollen morphology of Crocus species previously investigated by several European workers.

Key words: Crocus, Iridaceae, pollen morphology, Turkey.