SUMMARY
The pollen morphology of 182 specimens, belonging to ca. 35 species, has been examined, with the object to define species or groups of species; this study is based upon the numbers and names of the collectors, so that the specimens could be characterized by pollen morphology.
Two large groups of species were established: in the first belong those with pollen monads, or isolated grains. In the second group, which comprised the majority of species, belong those with grains grouped in tetrads, ditetcads or polyads; these three possibilities may occur in the same specimen. The two groups were subdivided into subgroups by the structure of their exines at the subequatorial regions of the grains. Thus, the pollen of the Kielmeyera belong to 5 pollen types, with 14 subtypes. A specific pollen definition for each species is not possible.
By additional analysis of data obtained by ultra-structural observations of the pollen exines, phylogenetical relationships between the species and specimens examined can be established.
In regard to the ecological environments where the species occurred, it was found that those with smooth, insulate or verrucate polyads occur in drier areas such as fields, “cerrados” and “cerradão”, while those with microreticulate and reticulate polyads and also with monads, have a preference for more humid environments, such as forests and “restingas”.