XVI International Botanical Congess
Pantoporate pollen of the alliance is diverse, in particular in Amaranthaceae. High resolution SEM, TEM, and LM, covering about 20% of the species, provided a representative dataset. Important features include the metareticulate structure (Gomphrenoideae, Psilotrichum), or the hook-shaped stellately arranged ektexinous bodies on pores (confined to 9 Amaranthaceae genera in angiosperms). Within Chenopodiaceae characteristic pollen is found e.g., in Polycnemoideae. Pollen of Salicornieae and Amaranthus is morphologically extremely similar. Differences of Sarcobataceae could be confirmed, since its type of pollen was not found in any other taxa of the alliance. A preliminary phylogenetic evaluation, including other currently available characters, indicates that pollen provides highly significant evolutionary information at various taxonomic levels.