Pollen diversity in Phyllanthus species (Phyllanthaceae) Andhra Pradesh, India
The present study deals with the pollen morphological diversity and taxonomic importance among the Phyllanthus species belonging to the Phyllanthaceae family from combined Andhra Pradesh. Sixteen species belonging to genus Phyllanthus analyzed the pollen morphology using SEM. The size, shape, symmetry, aperture and ornamentation were recorded in all test species, among them ten were tricolporate, three tetracolporate while the remaining indicates the pantosyncolpate. The reticulate ornamentation is common and predominant in all taxa. The evaluation of taxonomic diversity among Phyllanthus species hitherto not known from Andhra Pradesh, hence the present study is the first report and gains importance. It is clear that the pollen characteristic features are significant in the identification of endemic species (P.scabrifolius and P.narayanaswamii) and confirmation of potential medicinal plants (P. amarus and its allied species) with the help of micromorphological pollen studies.