ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to identify plant species visited by Apis mellifera L. in honey producing areas with typical Caatinga vegetation in the State of Bahia, as well as morphologically characterize pollen grains of the most representative species. Flowering specimens were collected from both areas, herborized, identified and deposited at the HUNEB herbarium. Analyses of floristic similarities were performed between eleven municipalities close to the study areas. Pollen was collected from all specimens, acetolyzed, measured, statistically analyzed, morphologically described, and photographed in light microscopy. Of the total of species recorded, 67.46 % were regarded as having beekeeping importance, with the richest botanical families being Fabaceae, Malvaceae and Asteraceae. Additionally, 37.5 % of the recorded species were herbs. The analyzed municipalities showed 84 % of floristic similarity. Of the total species recorded with visits by A. mellifera, 25.52 % had their pollen grains already described in the literature as monads, tetrads and polyads; isopolar, apolar and heteropolar; and mostly prolate spheroidal shape. Sizes varied from small to large, and the amb circular was predominant. The exine ornamentation was greatly diversified, varying from psilate to echinate. The obtained data corroborate the palynological knowledge of plants regarded as having beekeeping importance within the Caatinga.

Abstract Background: Plants and bees have coevolved throughout geological time, establishing a mutualistic relationship that results in feeding/resource obtention by bees and the reproductive success of angiosperms. Questions and Hypotheses: What is the floristic composition of the vegetation visited by bees in the Caatinga? How are pollen grains from Caatinga bee plant species characterized? Do pollen grains of bee plant species present characters that could be associated with the pollination process? Studied species: We studied the pollen grains of 45 bee plant species belonging to 41 genera and 23 angiosperm families. Among the studied species, 37 % are endemic to Brazil, and eight species are endemic to the Caatinga biome. Study site and dates: Apiary within the Caatinga biome, in the State of Bahia, Brazil. Climate warm semiarid. Fieldwork was carried out between August 2016 and June 2017. Methods: Plants in bloom and being visited by Apis mellifera were collected during biweekly field expeditions, herborized, identified, and deposited at the HUNEB herbarium. Pollen grains were acetolyzed, characterized, and microphotographed under light microscopy. Results: Forty-five bee plants were collected and classified according to field observations and specialized literature. Pollen morphology was variable, and nine species had their pollen morphology described for the first time. The apertures of the studied pollen grains were mainly tricolporate (44 %), pantoporate (15 %), and inaperturate (13 %), and exine ornamentation was mainly (micro)reticulate (46 %) and (micro)echinate (33 %). Conclusions: Our results suggest that bee plants present a set of palynological characters that may favor entomophily.

Resumen: Antecedentes: Plantas y abejas coevolucionaron, resultando en la alimentación/obtención de recursos por parte de las abejas y el éxito reproductivo de las angiospermas. Preguntas: ¿Cuál es la composición florística de la flora apícola en la Caatinga? ¿Cómo se caracterizan los granos de polen de las especies apícolas? ¿Los granos de polen de la flora apícola presentan características que facilitan la polinización? Especies de estudio: Se estudiaron los granos de polen de 45 especies apícolas vegetales pertenecientes a 41 géneros y 23 familias de fanerógamas. Entre las especies colectadas, el 37 % son endémicas de Brasil, con ocho especies exclusivas de la Caatinga. Sitio y años de estudio: Apiario en la Caatinga, Bahía, Brasil. Clima cálido semiárido. Colectas realizadas entre agosto de 2016 y junio de 2017. Métodos: Fueron colectadas las especies botánicas en floración que estaban siendo visitadas por las abejas Apis mellifera, posteriormente herborizadas, identificadas y adicionadas en la colección HUNEB. Los granos de polen fueron sometidos a acetólisis, caracterizados y fotomicrografados bajo microscopía óptica. Resultados: Se colectaron y clasificaron 45 plantas apícolas de acuerdo con observaciones de campo y literatura especializada. La morfología del polen fue bastante variada, con predominio del tipo tricolporado (44 %), pantoporado (15 %), inaperturado (13 %) y variación de la escultura exina, con predominio de polen (micro)reticulado (46 %) y (micro)equinado (33 %). Nueve especies fueron descritas palinológicamente por primera vez. Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados sugieren que existen características en la morfología de los granos de polen de las plantas apícolas que favorecen la polinización.

ABSTRACT Papilionoideae is the most diverse subfamily of Leguminosae, representing approximately 39 % of its species. Although it is particularly species rich and diverse in the Caatinga, the main phytophysiognomy of the semiarid Northeast Region of Brazil, little is known about the pollen morphology of the species that occur there. This study analyzes and describes the pollen morphology of the 27 species of Papilionoideae endemic to the Caatinga. Pollen grains were acetolyzed, mounted on permanent slides, measured, described and photomicrographed using light and scanning electron microscopy (LM and SEM, respectively). The main variable morphological features were pollen grain size, shape, amb, apertural type and exine ornamentation under LM (microreticulate, reticulate, psilate or finely scabrate) and SEM (microreticulate, reticulate, rugulate, granulate, fossulate and perforate). High intergeneric morphological heterogeneity was observed while morphological variation within each genus was subtle. Nonetheless, size, endoaperture shape, fastigium presence/absence and exine ornamentation were found to be important characteristics for the identification of some species.

Resumo No presente trabalho, foi analisada a morfologia polínica de 22 espécies de Anacardiaceae, ocorrentes no estado da Bahia, Brasil. O material polinífero foi obtido a partir de espécimes depositados em herbários. Os grãos de pólen foram acetolisados, mensurados, ilustrados e descritos sob microscopias de luz e eletrônica de varredura. Os dados quantitativos foram analisados estatisticamente de acordo com o tamanho da amostra. As espécies analisadas apresentaram grãos de pólen em mônades, pequenos a médios, isopolares, amb circular a subtriangular, com formas variando de oblata-esferoidal a prolata, 3-colporados, com fastígio e/ou ponte em algumas espécies. A ornamentação da exina caracterizou-se como psilada, estriada, microrreticulada-estriada, estriada-perfurada, supraestriada-infra(micror)reticulada. A variação morfopolínica confirma o caráter euripolínico da família. As características aperturais e da exina são atributos que podem colaborar com a circunscrição taxonômica e entendimento das relações filogenéticas do grupo.

Abstract In the present work, the pollen morphology of 22 species of Anacardiaceae was analysed, occurring in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The palynological material was obtained from specimens deposited in herbaria. The pollen grains were acetolysed, measured, illustrated and described under light and scanning electron microscopies. The quantitative data were statistically analysed according to sample size. The analysed species presented pollen grains in monads, small to medium sized, isopolar, amb circular to subtriangular, with shapes varying from oblate-spheroidal to prolate, 3-colporate, with fastigium in some species. The exine ornamentation was characterized as psilate, striate, microreticulate-striate, striato-perforate, suprastriato-infra(micro)reticulate. The pollen morphology variation confirms the eurypalynous character of the family. The attributes of the apertures and exine may collaborate in the taxonomic circumscription and provide a clarification of the phylogenetic relationships of the group.

ABSTRACT The pollen grains of 15 species belonging to five genera (Ceiba Mill., Eriotheca Schott & Endl., Pachira Aubl., Pseudobombax Dugand, and Rhodognaphalopsis A. Robyns) of the subfamily Bombacoideae (Malvaceae s.l.) were acetolysed, measured, described and photomicrographed under light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy, in order to characterize the pollen morphology of species of the subfamily occurring in Brazil. The pollen characters studied were size, shape, exine constitution, and apertural type. Pollen grains were medium to large-sized and isopolar with a (sub)circular and (sub)triangular amb with flat, convex or concave sides; oblate to suboblate; 3(-4)-colp(or)ate or 4-5(-6)-colporate, planaperturate, sinuaperturate; equatorial calottes different or not; exine tectate or semitectate, perforate and microreticulate with or without supratectal spines. The results confirm the eurypalynous nature of the group with variation among the studied genera being mainly in the exine pattern.

ABSTRACT This study aims to expand knowledge of the pollen morphology of Passifloraceae and contribute to the taxonomic delimitation of the group by morphologically characterizing pollen grains of species that occur in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Thirty-six species occur in the state, one of the genus Mitostemma (M. glaziovii) and 35 of the genus Passiflora. Pollen samples were acetolysed, measured, and described using light and scanning electron microscopy. The results group the studied species into four pollen types based mainly on aperture type and number, opercular variation, and the presence/absence of ornamentation elements inside the lumina of the reticulum: Pollen type I - species belonging to the subgenera Astrophea and Deidamioides; pollen type II - subgenus Decaloba; pollen type III - subgenus Passiflora; and pollen type IV - M. glaziovii, with pollen characteristics that separate it from the other species analyzed. The results reinforce the recognition of three subgenera of Passiflora. Morphopalynologically the species have very similar pollen types except for those of the subgenus Deidamioides, which are quite diverse and thus included in another pollen type. The results reveal the importance of pollen grains for the taxonomic study of Passifloraceae.

RESUMO A morfologia polínica de 17 táxons de Convolvulaceae [Bonamia agrostopolis, Evolvulus (nove espécies) - Tribo Cresseae) e Jacquemontia (sete espécies) - Tribo Jacquemontieae)] foi descrita sob microscopia de luz (ML) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) com objetivo de contribuir com a palinologia e taxonomia do grupo. O material polinífero foi retirado de anteras e/ou botões florais de exsicatas de herbários, acetolisado, analisado quantitativa e qualitativamente sob ML e MEV, descrito e ilustrado. Os dados aqui apresentados sobre a morfologia polínica das espécies de Bonamia, Evolvulus e Jacquemontia estudadas evidenciaram que B. agrostopolis apresenta grãos de pólen médios, isopolares, microequinados, granulados e o tipo apertural 3-colpado, presente na maioria das espécies estudadas de Jacquemontia. Por outro lado, as espécies de Evolvulus, J. gracillima e J. pentanthos compreendem o mesmo tipo polínico, caracterizado pelos grãos de pólen esferoidais, pantocolpados e microequinados. As demais espécies de Jacquemontia caracterizaram-se pelos grãos de pólen com forma variando de subprolata a prolata-esferoidal, zonocolpados e exina microequinada em todas as espécies, com grânulos, perfurações e microrretículo em algumas espécies. Observou-se aqui uma indefinição dos tipos polínicos que delimitam Cresseae e Jacquemontieae, visto que há afinidades palinológicas entre espécies das duas tribos. As espécies de Evolvulus formam um grupo estenopolínico. No entanto, o presente estudo apresenta descrições palinológicas inéditas para nove espécies, contribuindo para a ampliação dos dados palinológicos e confirmando o carácter euripolínico de Convolvulaceae.

ABSTRACT The pollen morphology of 17 taxa of Convolvulaceae [Bonamia agrostopolis, Evolvulus (nine species) - Tribe Cresseae), and Jacquemontia (seven species) - Tribe Jacquemontieae)] was described under light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with the objective of contributing to the palynology and the taxonomy of the group. The pollen material was collected from anthers and/or floral buds of herbarium exsicates, acetolyzed, analyzed quantitative and qualitatively under LM and SEM, described and illustrated. The data presented here on the pollen morphology of the studied Bonamia, Evolvulus and Jacquemontia species, showed that B. agrostopolis has medium, isopolar, microechinate, granulated pollen grains with the 3-colpate apertural type, which is present in the majority of Jacquemontia species studied. On the other hand, Evolvulus species, J. gracillima and J. pentanthos have the same pollen type, characterized by being spheroidal, pantocolpate and microechinate. The other species of Jacquemontia were characterized by the subprolate to prolate-spheroidal shape, and the zonocolpate and microechinate exine in the pollen grains of all species, with granules, perforations, and micro-reticules in some species. We observed a lack of definition of the pollen types that delimit Cresseae and Jacquemontieae since there are palynological affinities between species of the two tribes. The species of Evolvulus form a stenopalynous group; however, the present study presents unpublished palynological descriptions for nine species, contributing to the expansion of pollen data and confirming the eurypalynous character of Convolvulaceae.

ABSTRACT Waltheria encompasses about 60 species distributed in Brazil and Mexico. To improve the palynology of the genus, we analyzed 14 species occurring in the Brazilian State of Bahia. Pollen grains were acetolyzed and examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Non-acetolyzed pollen grains were viewed by transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed two general pollen types based on exine ornamentation, such as reticulate and echinate, which are distinct with regard to (1) size and shape, (2) apertural type and number, (3) relative length of ectoapertures, and (4) thickening of the nexine compared to the sexine. An ultrastructural analysis of the pollen wall revealed a continuous foot layer and a compact and discontinuous endexine in most cases. The sexine consisted of heterogeneous columellae, which support a perforated semitectum (echinate type) or the semitectum was composed of perforations and muri-shaped thickening (reticulate type). These results confirm a high degree of pollen dimorphism in Waltheria associated with heterostyly.

RESUMOO estudo da morfologia polínica das espécies das tribos Ipomoeeae e Merremieae (Convolvulaceae) tem como finalidade contribuir com a ampliação do conhecimento palinológico dos táxons estudados e subsidiar a taxonomia do grupo. Foram examinados os grãos de pólen de 10 espécies de Ipomoea, uma de Turbina (tribo Ipomoeeae) e quatro de Merremia(tribo Merremieae) ocorrentes na flora de Brejinho das Ametistas, Caetité, BA, Brasil. Os grãos de pólen foram acetolisados, mensurados, descritos e ilustrados sob microscopia de luz (ML) e eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Mediante a análise da morfologia polínica dos táxons estudados, foi possível confirmar o caráter euripolínico do grupo e reconhecer dois tipos polínicos com base no tipo apertural e na ornamentação da exina: Tipo 1. grãos de pólen pantoporados, equinados; Tipo 2. grãos de pólen 3-6-colpados, microequinados, granulados.

ABSTRACTThis pollen morphology study of species of the tribes Ipomoeeae and Merremieae (Convolvulaceae) aims to contribute to the knowledge of palynology of the taxa studied and to the taxonomy of the group. Ten species of Ipomoea, one of Turbina (Ipomoeeae tribe), and four species of Merremia (Merremieae tribe) occurring in the flora of the Brejinho das Ametistas, Caetité, Bahia State, Brazil were examined. The pollen grains were acetolysed, measured, described, and illustrated under light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron (SEM) microscopy. By analyzing the pollen morphology of the taxa studied, it was possible to confirm the euripollinic character of the group and to recognize two pollen types based upon the apertural type and the exine ornamentation: 1) pantoporate, echinate pollen grain; 2) 3-6-colpate, microechinate, granulate pollen grain.

Rubiaceae foi representada na flora de Brejinho das Ametistas por dezesseis espécies, as quais foram tratadas palinologicamente no presente estudo: Coccocypselum hirsutum Bartl. ex DC., Cordiera rigida Kuntze, Coutarea hexandra K.Schum., Declieuxia fruticosa Kuntze, Diodella apiculata (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Delprete, D. radula (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Delprete, D. teres Small., Emmeorhiza umbellata K.Schum., Leptoscela ruellioides Hook. f., Mitracarpus baturitensis Sucre., Mitracarpus villosus Cham. & Schltdl., Palicourea rigida Kunth, Psyllocarpus asparagoides Mart., Richardia grandiflora Steud., Staelia aurea K. Schum., Staelia galioides DC. Para análise sob microscopia de luz e eletrônica de varredura, os grãos de pólen foram acetolisados, mensurados, descritos, foto e eletromicrografados. Os grãos de pólen variaram de pequenos a grandes; suboblatos a subprolatos. Inaperturados em P. rigida, colpados, e colporados na maioria das espécies, com número de aberturas variável de três a várias. Exina predominantemente microrreticulada entre as espécies, sendo reticulada (C. hirsutum, C. rigida, P. rigida), birreticulada (D. fruticosa), microequinada-perfurada (C. hexandra), equinado-granulada (R. grandiflora), equinado-granulado-perfurada (D. apiculata e D. teres), e psilada (P. asparagoides). Os resultados mostraram que as espécies são palinologicamente distintas.

The palynology of the following 16 species of Rubiaceae, from Brejinho das Amestistas, was investigated: Coccocypselum hirsutum Bartl. ex DC., Cordiera rigida Kuntze, Coutarea hexandra K.Schum., Declieuxia fruticosa Kuntze, Diodella apiculata (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Delprete, D. radula (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Delprete, D. teres Small., Emmeorhiza umbellata K.Schum., Leptoscela ruellioides Hook. f., Mitracarpus baturitensis Sucre., Mitracarpus villosus Cham. & Schltdl., Palicourea rigida Kunth, Psyllocarpus asparagoides Mart., Richardia grandiflora Steud., Staelia aurea K. Schum., and Staelia galioides DC. The pollen grains were acetolysed to and their morphological characters were analyzed using light and scanning electron microscopy. They varied in size from small to large; were suboblate to subprolate; inaperturate (P. rigida), colpate and colporate in the remaining species, with an aperture number that varied from three to several. The exines were microreticulate in most species, reticulate (C. hirsutum, C. rigida and P. rigida), bireticulate (D. fruticosa), microechinate-perforated (C. hexandra), echinate-granulate (R. grandiflora), echinate-granulate-perforate (D. apiculata and D. teres), and psilate (P. asparagoides). Based on the results, palynological data can be used to distinguish these species.