| Abstract Detail
Paleobotanical Section Smith, Selena Y. [1], Stockey, Ruth A. [1]. Pollen ultrastructure in modern and fossil Saururaceae. Detailed investigations into the pollen of the four genera (six extant species) of Saururaceae were carried out in order to compare it with the first recognized fossil pollen of the family. Fossil pollen was found in situ in minute, saururaceous flowers from the Middle Eocene Princeton Chert. This represents the first study using transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM, respectively) for all species. Saururaceae have characteristic pollen, less than 20 μm in size, monosulcate, boat-shaped-elliptic to globose, and with a punctate tectum and granulate sculpturing on the aperture membrane. Aperture membrane sculpturing, however, is less pronounced in Houttuynia, and tends towards ridges in Anemopsis. While most taxa have papillae around the puncta and an otherwise smooth tectum, Gymnotheca differs from the other taxa in lacking papillae around the puncta and in having a microstriate exine sculpturing. TEM shows that taxa are tectate-columellate and have an endexine. Gymnotheca and the fossil pollen have a well-defined columellar infratectum, while Saururus, Anemopsis and Houttuynia have, in section view, an irregular infratectum. Pollen shows some generic-level differences, and this study also provides search images for the future recognition of more fossil saururaceous pollen.
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1 - University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, Biological Sciences Centre, Cw 405, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
Keywords:
Saururus
Saururaceae
Anemopsis
Gymnotheca
Houttuynia
Princeton Chert
fossil pollen
Middle Eocene.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: CP45
Location: Williford A/Hilton
Date: Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Time: 9:30 AM
Number: CP45006
Abstract ID:1602 |
