Usefulness and limitations of pollen characters in environmental studies based on Viola L. species (sect. Melanium Ging.)

  • A. Słomka Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
  • J. Bohdanowicz Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
  • E. Poznańska Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
  • M. Kwiatkowska Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
  • M. Pilarska The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland
  • G. Struebig The School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, Great Britain
  • L. Shuka Department of Biology, University of Tirana, Bulevardi ZOG I, Tirana, Albania
  • E. Kuta Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.161000

Abstract

The aim of these studies was to determine the effect of environmental pollution on pollen development. Pollen heteromorphism (the presence of pollen morphs differing in aperture number in one flower of a plant), pollen viability (stainability) and pollen grain size in European metallophytes from sect. Melanium Ging. (Viola L., Violaceae) were analyzed by SEM and histochemical staining.
Plants’ tolerance to heavy metals is positively correlated with their pollen viability, which should be termed stainability as it depends on the staining method applied and is not correlated with pollen germination. Abortive pollen can be produced as an effect of heavy metals but also may result from hybridization, a very common phenomenon in pansies. Pollen stainability in hybrids can be high (even exceeding 70%) or low (barely above 20%), and stainable pollen grains can differ greatly in size (from very small to giant), indicating a cytological imbalance resulting from disturbed meiosis. The number of pollen apertures is an adaptive character in facultative metallophytes. Plants from a metallicolous population produced a wider range of aperture number (3, 4, 5) than plants from a non-metallicolous population, which developed only 4- and 5-aperturate pollen. Three-aperturate longer-lived pollen are favored in the harsh conditions of a metal-polluted environment.

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Fig. 1. Pollen heteromorphism, stainability and germination in metallophytes of sect. Melanium. SEM (A-E, G) and LM (F, H, I) micrographs. Pollen morphs isolated from one flower of Viola tricolor from non-metalliferous (A) and metalliferous (B) sites; 3-aperturate (C), 4-aperturate (D) and 5-aperturate (E) pollen of V. tricolor from metallicolous population; 6-aperturate pollen of V. albanica (F); pollen germination (arrow and magnification) at stigma of V. raunsiensis (G); different sizes of stainable pollen (Alexander test) in V. albanica × V. dukadjinica (H); non-stainable normal-size (arrow) and dwarf empty (arrowhead) pollen of V. dukadjinica (I). Bars in A = 200 µm, in B, F, I = 50 µm, in C-E, H = 20 µm, in G = 500 µm.
Published
2014-04-01
How to Cite
SŁOMKA, A. et al. Usefulness and limitations of pollen characters in environmental studies based on Viola L. species (sect. Melanium Ging.). Modern Phytomorphology, [S.l.], v. 5, p. 31-34, apr. 2014. ISSN 2227-9555. Available at: <http://ojs.phytomorphology.org/index.php/MP/article/view/189>. Date accessed: 11 apr. 2018. doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.161000.
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Vol 5 (2014)
Section
Research Articles
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