Study on the Pollen Morphology of Three Genera of Lamiaceae

The pollen grains of 9 samples of genera Perilla,Scutellaria and Salvia(Lamiaceas).were examined by light microscope(LM) and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The results showed that the pollen grains of Perilla were oblate or suboblate in shape,while the pollen shapes of Scutellaria baicalensis,Salvia miltiorrhiza and Salvia splensens were subprolate in equatorial view.However,in equatorial view,the pollen shapes of Salvia farinacea was near spherical.The pollen apertures of five varieties of genus perilla,Salvia miltiorrhiza,Salvia splensens and Salvia farinacea were hexacolpate.But Scutellaria baicalensis was tricolpate.Although,the exine ornamentation of pollen grains under SEM of Perilla,Scutellaria and Salvia were reticulate,but differences occurred in shape,size of the lumina,foveolae numbers in the lumina and presence or absence of protuberance on muri of they pollen grains.The differences of pollen morphology among these three different genera of Lamiaceae were so remarkable that it would play an important role in classification of them.