In this study 21 taxa of Solanum L. were investigated for palynological characterization and to contribute to the Pollen Catalog of the Flora of the Rio de Janeiro restingas. The taxa analysed were Solanum affine Sendtn., Solanum americanum Mill. var. americanum,Solanum argenteum Dunal ex Poir., Solanum aturense Dunal, Solanum caavurana Vell., Solanum capsicoides All., Solanum carautae Carv., Solanum cordifolium Dunal, Solanum curvispinum Dunal, Solanum echidnaeforme Dunal, Solanum gardneri Sendtn.,Solanum indigoferum A. St.-Hil., Solanum insidiosum Mart., Solanum mauritianum Scop., Solanum paludosum Moric., Solanum paniculatum L., Solanum paratyense Vell., Solanum pseudoquina A.St.-Hil., Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam., Solanum torvum Sw. and Solanum velleum Sw. Pollen grains were measured, described and illustrated using light microscopy. Non-acetolysed pollen grains were analyzed using scanning electronic microscopy to confirm descriptions of aperture and sexine ornamentation. The pollen grains are small or medium sized, isopolar, subprolate to oblate spheroidal, tricolporate with granulate, rugulate-granulate or scabrate sexine. The results show that the pollen of these taxa are rather heterogeneous in shape and in attributes of aperture and sexine ornamentation which can be used in the taxonomy of the genus.
Palynology; Solanaceae; Solanum; Rio de Janeiro; Restinga
