Palinotaxonomia de representantes das tribos Coussareeae. Benth. Hook. F. e Psychotrieae Cham. & Schtdl (Rubiaceae Juss.) ocorrentes no Sudeste do Brasil

Abstract

Rubiaceae Juss. is the fourth family in number of species between the Angiosperms in the World and in the Neotropics, with great diversity of species with representatives in most biomes. In Brazil are registered 124 genera and 1,395 species being considered one of the main families of flora. This work deals with the palynological study of 61 species of Rubiaceae subordinated to Coussareeae Benth. & Hook.f and Psychotrieae Cham. & Schltdl. tribes occur in southeastern Brazil, in order to describe the pollen morphology and establish pollen attributes useful to the group taxonomy. The material used was obtained from herbarium specimens deposited in the national herbarium (BHCB, GUA, HB, R, RB and SP). The pollen grains were treated by the method and acetolítico or by acetolysis lactic method, subsequently measured, described and photomicrographed in light microscopy. For analysis in a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the anthers were ruptured and the pollen grains not acetolysed, spread over a tape of carbon. Were characterized by the shape, size, type of aperture, the polarity and the ornamentation of sexine. The pollen grains were medium to large, apolar or isopolar, suboblate to subprolate; apertures when present, were colpus, colporus or pores and aperture number varied from 2-4 or pantoapertures. The sexine ornamentation varied between rugulate, microrreticulate and reticulate. Coussareeae was characterized by tricolporate pollen grains or 2-3-4-porate while Psychotrieae, inaperturate, 3- 4-colpate or pantoporate pollen grains. The results obtained can be seen that the pollen characteristics are important for the identification of species and generic circumscription, the family is considered euripolinic, The palynology is therefore a consistent taxonomic character, since the tribes, genera and species are distinct palynologically