Pollen morphology of Turkish Amaryllidaceae, Ixioliriaceae and Iridaceae

The pollen morphology of numerous collections of taxa in the monocotyledonous families Amaryllidaceae, Ixioliriaceae and Iridaceae (order Asparagales) native to Turkey are presented in this study. Nineteen taxa from five genera of Amaryllidaceae, two taxa from Ixioliriaceae, and ten taxa from three genera of Iridaceae were examined with light and scanning electron microscopy. The pollen morphology is described in detail. In addition, pollen morphological data for Iris L., Crocus L. and Romulea Maratti taken from our previously published accounts are also included in the current report to provide an overall synthesis of the pollen characteristics of the three families in Turkey. The accumulated pollen data are described and discussed, and possible evolutionary trends for the pollen characters are considered.