Pollen morphology of Satureja L. (Nepetoideae, Lamiaceae) taxa in Türkiye

Seventeen naturally distributed taxa of the genus Satureja in T & uuml;rkiye were studied, using data obtained from scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Pollen grains of Satureja taxa, consistent with the subtribe Menthinae, were identified as hexacolpate. The pollen size is small to medium, with the polar axis ranging between 24.00 and 38.00 mu m, the equatorial axis between 28.00 and 43.00 mu m, and the amb diameter also between 28.00 and 43.00 mu m. The average exine thickness was between 1.00 and 1.95 mu m. The pollen grains of Satureja are characterized by a bireticulate ornamentation. The pollen morphology of the 17 Satureja taxa was comprehensively examined, and the pollen features of 12 taxa - five of which are endemic to T & uuml;rkiye - were characterized and reported for the first time. Based on pollen morphology, species were divided into two clusters, except for S. macrantha, S. boissieri, S. spinosa, and S. wiedemannia. It was found that the amb diameter and equatorial and polar axis length play an important role in the first principal component axis, while the exine, sexine, and intine play an important role in the second. Although there is no clear distinction between the two clusters, a correlation trend is observed in the plant's habit and the number of flowers in the cymes.