Pollen morphology of Eidotheoideae: Implications for phylogeny in the Proteaceae

Abstract

Pollen morphology of Eidothea zoexylocarya A.W.Douglas & B.P.M.Hyland is detailed from light and both scanning and transmissionelectron microscope analyses. Eidothea shares withPersoonia and several taxa within tribes Conospermeaeand Proteeae oblate, isopolar, triporate pollen with a tectateperforate-retitectate exine composed only of ektexine that thins and isdisrupted by lacunae and radial channels in the apertural regions. These characters have taxonomic resolution within the Proteaceae and suggest a link between Subfamily Eidotheoideae and Subfamilies Persoonioideae andProteoideae; however, sculpturing of Eidothea pollendiffers in fine detail from that reported from the Persoonioideae and Proteoideae. The fossil pollen taxaProteacidites nitidus Dudgeon andP. punctiporus Macphail & Truswell are similar inapertural characters but sculptural attributes are distinct and exinestratification and structure of the fossil taxa await documentation.