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ABSTRACT
The morphological diversity of pollen brings important information on the taxonomy of plants present in past and current ecosystems. Regarding the rich biodiversity and the large number of endemic plant species on the island of Madagascar, pollen reference collections are still scarce for this part of the world. The main objective of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of pollen morphology of flowering plants visited by honeybees in a tropical rainforest of the south-east part of Madagascar during 2014 to 2015 (Ranomafana National Park – Fianarantsoa). Samples of 135 species belonging to 105 genera and 52 families were processed, employing the standard acetolysis method. Pollen reference slides of these melliferous plants were mounted. These pollen grains were then photographed and measured using light microscopy. The 135 collected species include 54 trees, 47 shrubs, 21 herbs, 12 lianas and one epiphyte, among which 85 taxa are endemic, 46 indigenous and four exotic. Pollen morphological characteristics of 106 species (85% endemic) are described here for the first time. Since these endemic plant taxa have co-evolved with the endemic honeybee of Madagascar, Apis mellifera unicolor, the implications of the pollen grain morphology for plant–pollinator co-evolution are discussed.
Acknowledgements
We thank the National Park of Ranomafana for authorising sampling for the purposes of this study. This work is part of the PhD of Tsiory Mampionona Rasoloarijao, recipient of a grant from Région Réunion. This work was funded by CIRAD, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and Région Réunion.
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Notes on contributors
Tsiory Mampionona Rasoloarijao
TSIORY MAMPIONONA RASOLOARIJAO obtained his MSc from the Department of Biology and Plant Ecology at the University of Antananarivo. He is currently pursuing a PhD between the University of Reunion (France) and the University of Antananarivo (Madagascar) on plant–pollinator interactions in the area of the south-west part of the Indian Ocean.
Perle Ramavovololona
PERLE RAMAVOVOLOLONA is a professor the University of Antananarivo. In 1986 she obtained her PhD in aeropalynology from the University of Antananarivo and began specialising in palynology and immunoallergy in 1998. Her main research interests are the palynology and the ecology of Madagascar.
Ralalaharisoa Ramamonjisoa
RALALAHARISOA RAMAMONJISOA is an assistant professor at the University of Antananarivo. She received her PhD in 1992 from the University of Antananarivo. Her main research interests are in melissopalynology.
Johanna Clemencet
JOHANNA CLEMENCET is an assistant professor at The University of Reunion. Her work focuses on evolutionary biology in insular environments, with a particular interest in Apis mellifera unicolor in the south-west Indian Ocean islands and its interactions with the biotic environment (flora and fauna).
Gérard Lebreton
GÉRARD LEBRETON is an engineer at the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), in the UMR PVBMT unit, based in Réunion. He obtained his Msc at the EPHE of Paris in botany, and has recently specialised in palynology.
Hélène Delatte
HÉLÈNE DELATTE is a researcher at the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD). She obtained her PhD from the University of Wageningen (The Netherlands), and her HDR (authority to supervise research) diploma from the University of Réunion. Her main research interests are focused on evolutionary biology and ecology in insular environments. She is currently the head of the department of insular ecology of the unit UMR PVBMT, based in Réunion.
