The study of pollen grains as a contribution to the taxonomy of Nissolia (Leguminosae – Papilionoideae – Dalbergieae)

Abstract

Nissolia has one of the most complex taxonomic histories of the informal Adesmia clade. In order to find additional taxonomic relevant characters for this genus, we studied the pollen morphology, ultrasculpture, and ultrastructure of 21 species and a single variety of Nissolia using light, scanning, and electron transmission microscopy. Additionally, a principal component analysis was performed to elucidate patterns of quantitative data variation among species concerning the most recent molecular data. Three pollen types are described based on mesocolpium sexine ornamentation. Furthermore, pollen grain size and shape, class of endoaperture, ultrasculpture of the operculum, membrane, and apocolpium sexine were informative pollen features for species recognition and delimitation in Nissolia. We conclude that pollen morphology and pollen types are related to species and phylogenetic distribution in Nissolia, providing valuable characters for taxonomic studies in the Adesmia clade.

Keywords:

• Chaetocalyx
• Dalbergia clade
• Fabaceae
• informal Adesmia clade
• pollen morphology

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the herbaria curators (BOTU, HST, K, MBM, MO, NY, SP, UB, US) who provided specimens for pollen sampling. The authors thank the ‘Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo’ and Prof. Dr Elliot Watanabe Kitajima, who made available to them the laboratory’s scanning electron microscope. The authors also thank the ‘Centro de Microscopia e Imagem, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba, Universidade de Campinas’ and Prof. Dr Pedro Duarte Novaes for the use of their transmission electron microscope.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Specimens investigated

Nissolia Jacq.

Nissolia acutifolia (Vogel) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Brazil: Bahia, Barreira. L. Coradin 1204, 26 July 1978 (NY 585507).

Nissolia bracteosa (Rudd) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Brazil: Piauí, Bom Jesus do Gurguéia. L.P. Félix 7754, 18 May 1997 (HST 6334). Brazil: Maranhão, Porto Moutinho. G. Hatschbach 384004, 28 March 1976 (MBM 41943).

Nissolia brasiliensis (Vogel) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul, Corumbá. A. Pott 10957, 29 March 2003 (BOTU32700). Brazil: Paraná, Graíra. M. Kirizawa et al. 723, 18 March 1982 (SP 178257). Brazil: Minas Gerais, Ituiutaba. A. Macedo 1783, 20 March 1949 (SP 84425).

Nissolia chacoensis (Vanni) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Bolivia: Santa Cruz, Cordillera. A.F. Fuertes et al. 2283, 12 February 1998 (MO 1322066)

Nissolia chiapensis Rudd. Chiapas, Mexico, D.E. Breedlove 55042, 7 November 1981 (NY).

Nissolia fruticosa Jacq. Mexico: Oaxaca. C.R. Torres 5573, 24 July 1984 (NY). Paraguay: Alto Paraguay. A.L. Woolston 1067, 21 March 1959 (SP 85056). Mexico: El PalMar. D.E. Breedlove, 52171, 1 August 1981 (NY).

Nissolia fruticosa var. guatemalensis Jacq. Bolivia: Santa Cruz, Vallegrande. M. Nee 37386, 28 December 1988 (SP 238148). Bolivia: Santa Cruz, Andrés Ibáñe. M. Nee 34292, 1 March 1987 (SP 238116).

Nissolia gentryi Rudd. Mexico: Sonora. A.L. Reina et al. 98-270, 17 March 1998 (NY).

Nissolia klugii (Rudd) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Brazil: Acre, Seringal Porongaba. DC Daly 6778, 29 May 1991 (NY 476760). Peru: Amazonas, Bagua. N. Jaramillo 251, 2 August 1994 (MO 916075).

Nissolia latisiliqua (Poir.) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Ecuador: El Oro. L. A. de Escobar 1192, 15 May 1979 (NY). Costa Rica: Puntarenas. M. Segura et al. 249, 17 December 1993 (NY). Ecuador: Esmeralda, Lita. C. Játiva, CCE Játiva 890, 22 July 1964 (MO 1697673).

Nissolia laxior (B.L. Rob.) Rose. Mexico: Oaxaca. R. Torres C. et A. Gardia M 6747. 10/06/1985 (K 1306163).

Nissolia leiogyne Sandwith. Mexico, Guerrero. G.B. Hinton 6291, 14 July 1934 (K 222387). Mexico: Jalisco, E.J. Lott 7861, 18 August 1991 (K 1306170).

Nissolia longiflora (Benth. ex A. Gray) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Brazil: São Paulo, Pirajuí. G. Edwall 51, July 1905 (SP 13307). Brazil: São Paulo, Botucatu. C.J. Campos 16, 25 May 1974 (BOTU 8901). Bolivia: Santa Cruz, Nuflo de Chavez. H. Michael 53044, 17 May 2005 (MO 3178230).

Nissolia microptera Poir. Mexico, Jalisco Tequila, E. Palmer 388, August 1886 (K001306150). Mexico, Michoacan, 11 October 2008 (K 1306268).

Nissolia nigricans (Burkart) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Argentina: Misiones, Sta. Ana, Candelaria. O. Morrone et al. 1162, 10 October 1996 (MO 2188393). Brazil: Paraná, Catanduvas. G. Hatschbach, P. Pelanda, 35141, 10 October 1974 (SP 141236). Argentina: Misiones, Iguazú. O. Ricardo et al. 2955, 17 December 1991 (MO 3175683). Brazil: Paraná, Catanduvas. G. Hatschbach & P. Pelanda, 35141, 10 October 1974 (MBM 23104).

Nissolia platycarpa Benth. Mexico: Nuevo León, Monterrey. H.D. Ripley 13257, 22 October 1963 (US 2483114). Mexico, Saltillo. R.A. Preston-Mafham 190, 1978 (K).

Nissolia pringlei Rose. Mexico: Puebla. Pedro Tenorio L. 15289, 19 October 1988 (K 1306166).

Nissolia schottii (Torr.) A. Gray. USA: Arizona. R.H. Peebles 7923, 10 July 1931 (NY 2616301).

Nissolia subulata (Mackinder) I. Castro & Fort.-Perez. Brazil: Bahia, Umburanas. L.P. Queiroz et al. 5894, 10 April 1999 (SP 339798). Brazil: Bahia, Abaíra. W Ganev 114, 12 April 1992 (NY 777344).

Nissolia tomentosa (Gardner) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Brazil: São Paulo, Ubatuba. J. Mattos, N. Mattos 8918, 29 April 1961 (NY 585504; SP 64564).

Nissolia vincentina (Ker Gawl.) T.M. Moura et Fort.-Perez. Brazil: Bahia, Abaíra. PT Sano 14644, 22 February 1994 (SP312173). Brazil: Sergipe, São Cristóvão. EM Carneiro 3571, 18 October 1983 (SP 472495). Brazil: Bahia, Senhor do Bonfim. K.R.B. Leite et al. 412, 8 October 2003 (MBM 315474). Brazil: Pernambuco, Triunfo. F.V. Silva, A.M. Miranda 10, 16 June 1999 (SP 472644).

Nissolia wislizeni (A. Gray) A. Gray. Mexico: Chihuahua. A. Enriques s.n., 08/1976 (NY). Mexico: s.l. E. Palmer 371, 25 July 1906 (K 1306154).

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed in part by the ‘Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior’ – Brazil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001 (PhD Grant), awarded to HAD (process no 88882.444252/2019-01) and process no 23038.000815/202281, aux no 528/2021); and by the ‘Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico’ (CNPq), through a research fellowship awarded to CFPL under Grant 304271/2019-5 and APM under Grant 312602/2019-7. APFP thanks FAPESP (process no 2015/13386-0), CNPq (process no. 457911/2013-1; 400567/2016-4 and PQ 313945/2021-7) and CAPES Print (process no 8887.373155/2019-00, code 001) for funding a collecting expedition in Brazil and study visits to analyse samples in national and international herbaria.