Fatemeh Bazdid Vahdati - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
Marzieh Beygom Faghir - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
Mostafa Assadi - Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran.

Colchicum L. is a taxonomically very difficult genus of the family Colchicaceae . This genus includes c. ۱۰۰ species, which ۱۵ species is reported of Iran. The main purpose of this study is to analyze palynological characters of the members of the genus and evaluating the systematical efficiency of these features. In the current survey, pollen morphology characters of the genus Colchicum L., comprising ۳ hysteranthous species (C. kotschyi, C.persicum, C.speciosum) are examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and light microscope (LM). These investigations on the pollen of Colchicum taxa are reported for the first time in Iran. The pollen grains are monad, bilateral symmetrical, isopolar, diporate, medium in size, elliptical (from equatorial view) in outline, subprolate to prolate in shape. The studied taxa are divided into three groups based on exine ornamentation: supra-reticulate, rugulate-microreticulate and reticulate. Pores are almost circular. The result supports current classifications and emphasizes the importance of pollen morphology traits special ornamentation exine for separating the species of the genus

Exine, Morphology, Ornamentation, Palynology