MORPHOLOGICAL AND PALYNOLOGICAL STUDIES IN SOME ACHILLEA L. SPECIES (ASTERACEAE) OF IRAN

Morphological and palynological studies were performed in ۳۴ populations of ۱۲  Achillea species belonging to three sections of Santolinoidea, Millefolium and Filipendulinae growing in Iran. Morphological studies were performed on ۳۴ populations of ۱۲ species. In total ۳۳ morphological characters including ۱۳ quantitative and ۲۰ qualitative were scored. ANOVA test showed significant difference for most of quantitative characters among the species and populations studied. UPGMA clustering of the populations and species studied based on merely quantitative morphological characters and also based on both quantitative and qualitative characters separated populations of each species from the others indicating the use of these characters in species delimitation, however no resolved relationship could be obtained and the species from ۳ sections stated in Flora Iranica are intermingled. The size of the pollen grains ranged from ۲۲.۴-۳۰.۰ µm, with similar P/E ratio, trizonocolporate, radially symmetrical, isopolar, spheroidal. The spines are pointed and are dome shaped broad based. The number of spine rows between colpi varies from ۳ to ۵ among the species. This feature can be determined easily in the polar view by light microscope.  The exine thickness varies from ۲.۴ µm to ۴.۵ µm among the species and pollen sculpturing is echinate in all. Clustering and ordination of species based on palynological characters also showed mixing of species from ۳ sections mentioned in Flora Iranica.

کلیدواژه ها:

Achillea ، Morphology ، Palynology ، Clustering ، ordination