POLLEN STUDIES OF MEMBERS OF THE GENUS BASELLA LINN. FROM SOUTH WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

The pollen studies of members the genus Basella L. in South west Nigeria namely, Basella rubra Rougx., Basella alba Linn. and Basella cordifolia Lamk were carried to find if pollen characteristics could be used to explain the taxonomy of the genus. Erdtman (1952) method of acetolysis was used, observed under light microscope; photomicrographs of the acetolysed pollen were made using ACCU-scope trinocular microscope (ACCUscope 33001 led trinocular microscope with 3.2 MP CMOS digital camera); both qualitative and quantitative parameters were taken. Pollen was pantoporate, cuboidal, exine wall reticulate, medium sized. Variations observed classified the species into two groups: B. rubra consists of oblate spheroidal pollen, thick walled, longest stipule length while B. alba and B.cordifolia consist of prolate spheroidal pollen, thin walled exine. B. alba is made of large grains, sexinous rods 4.5-5.0 μm long; stipule length is intermediate (6.0-9.0 μm). B. cordifolia has pores that are thin and short (5.0 μm long and 1 um wide). The pollen study showed that B. rubra is different from the other two species. The genus Basella consists of two species namely: B.rubra and B.alba while B.cordifolia is likely a variant of B. alba.