Author(s)

Paras Mazari^1,2*, Quanru Liu¹, Mir Ajab Khan², Sehrish Sadia¹, Latif Ahmad¹

¹College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
²Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Pollen morphology & pollen fertility estimation of three medicinal species belonging to genus Hypericum L. from flora of Kaghan valley, Northern Pakistan was investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy for the first time. The species are Hypericum elodeoides Choisy in, Hypericum oblongifolium Choisy, and Hypericum perforatum L. Pollen morphological characteristics with considerable variation are provided for these taxa. Among the studied taxa, the pollen grains were 3-4 colporate type and the largest pollen size was found in H. oblongifolium in polar view 23.0 μm and in equatorial view was 25.35 μm. The smallest pollen was of H. elodeoides in polar view which was 19.91 μm and in equatorial view was observed 12.53 μm in H. perforatum. The shape of the all pollen grain was circular to semi-angular in polar view, however in equatorial view the shape of the grains was oblate-spheroidal, in H. elodeoides, and H. oblongifolium while prolate in H. perforatum. Exine sculpturing was observed by scanning electron microscopy which showed foveolate sculpturing in H. elodeoides, reticulate in H. oblongifolium and scabrate in H. perforatum. Pollen fertility estimation ranged from 82.66% to 90.90% which shows that flora of selected species is well established.

Hypericum, Pollen Fertility, Kaghan Valley, Pollen Morphology, SEM

Mazari, P. , Liu, Q. , Khan, M. , Sadia, S. and Ahmad, L. (2017) Pollen Morphology and Pollen Fertility Estimation of Three Medicinal Plant Species of Hypericum L. from Kaghan Valley, Northern Pakistan. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 8, 3073-3083. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2017.812207.