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PalDat - Palynological Database

an online publication on recent pollen

Zea mays

Taxonomy: Angiospermae, Poales, Poaceae, Zea

Published: 2021-01-04

Pollen Description

Shape, Size and Aperture

pollen unit: monad,  dispersal unit and peculiarities: monad,  size (pollen unit): large (51-100 µm),  size of hydrated pollen (LM): 51-100 µm,  shortest polar axis in equatorial view (LM): -,  longest polar axis in equatorial view (LM): -,  shortest diameter in equatorial or polar view (LM): 51-100 µm,  longest diameter in equatorial or polar view (LM): 51-100 µm,  pollen class: ulcerate,  polarity: heteropolar,  P/E-ratio: -,  shape: spheroidal,  outline in polar view: circular,  dominant orientation (LM): polar,  P/E-ratio (dry pollen): -,  shape (dry pollen): irregular,  outline in polar view (dry pollen): irregular,  infoldings (dry pollen): irregularly infolded,  aperture number: 1,  aperture type: ulcus,  aperture condition: ulcerate,  aperture peculiarities: annulus, operculum

Ornamentation and Structure

LMornamentation LM: psilate,  nexine: -,  sexine: -,  SEMornamentation SEM: microechinate,  suprasculpture SEM: -,  TEMtectum: eutectate,  infratectum: columellate,  foot layer: continuous,  endexine: absent,  intine: monolayered,  wall peculiarities: -,  supratectal element: -

Miscellaneous

pollen coatings: absent,  reserves in cytoplasm: starch, polysaccharide vesicles,  cell number: 3-celled,  Ubisch bodies: present

Annotations: ulcus displaced, not in center of distal pole; shape ovoid to spheroidal

Author(s) of diagnosis: Diethart, Bernadette; Heigl, Helmut

Pictures

habitus

1. habitus

flower(s)

2. flower(s)

pollen grain with two sperm cells

3. pollen grain with two sperm cells

upper focus

4. upper focus

optical section

5. optical section

lower focus

6. lower focus

hydrated pollen

7. hydrated pollen

hydrated pollen

8. hydrated pollen

hydrated pollen

9. hydrated pollen

polar view (distal)

10. polar view (distal)

equatorial view

11. equatorial view

aperture

12. aperture

aperture

13. aperture

exine surface

14. exine surface

dry pollen grains

15. dry pollen grains

anther wall with Ubisch bodies

16. anther wall with Ubisch bodies

interapertural area of pollen wall

17. interapertural area of pollen wall

apertural area of pollen wall

18. apertural area of pollen wall

pollen wall at transition of aperture and interapertural area

19. pollen wall at transition of aperture and interapertural area

Picture legend

  1. habitus, photographer: Diethart, B.
  2. flower(s), photographer: Diethart, B.
  3. pollen grain with two sperm cells - fresh, unfixed, aceto-carmine, photographer: Diethart, B.
  4. upper focus - fresh, acetolyzed, unstained, photographer: Diethart, B.
  5. optical section - fresh, acetolyzed, unstained, photographer: Diethart, B.
  6. lower focus - fresh, acetolyzed, unstained, photographer: Diethart, B.
  7. hydrated pollen - fresh, glycerine, unstained, photographer: Heigl, H.
  8. hydrated pollen - fresh, glycerine, ruthenium red, photographer: Heigl, H.
  9. hydrated pollen - fresh, glycerine, ruthenium red, photographer: Heigl, H.
  10. polar view (distal) - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
  11. equatorial view - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
  12. aperture - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
  13. aperture - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
  14. exine surface - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
  15. dry pollen grains - dry, sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
  16. anther wall with Ubisch bodies - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
  17. interapertural area of pollen wall - fresh, glutaraldehyde & osmium & potassium ferrocyanide, modified Thiéry-test, photographer: Diethart, B.
  18. apertural area of pollen wall - fresh, glutaraldehyde & osmium & potassium ferrocyanide, uranyl acetate & lead citrate, photographer: Diethart, B.
  19. pollen wall at transition of aperture and interapertural area - fresh, glutaraldehyde & osmium & potassium ferrocyanide, uranyl acetate & lead citrate, photographer: Diethart, B.

Literature

  • Adler W, Oswald K, Fischer R. (1994) Exkursionsflora von Österreich : 1180
  • Halbritter, H (1998) Preparing living pollen material for scanning electron microscopy using 2,2-dimethoxypropane (DMP) and criticalpoint drying. Biotechnic Histochem 73: 137–143

Copyright and Citation

Cite this publication as:

Diethart B., Heigl H. 2021. Zea mays. In: PalDat - A palynological database. https://www.paldat.org/pub/Zea_mays/304812;jsessionid=3EF2C2894E340DF2F5D181569F39653B; accessed 2024-04-19

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