African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production

ISSN 2375-1258

African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production ISSN 2375-1258 Vol. 6 (10), pp. 001-011, October, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Comparative morphology, palynology and anatomy of five astraceous species from Pakistan

Sohail Jamil Qureshi1, Mir Ajab Khan2 and Maqsood Ahmad3

1Pakistan Islamia Institute AlAin, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, P. O. Box # 15778.

2Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan.

3Physics Division, PINSTECH, P.O. Nilore Islamabad, Pakistan.

Accepted 05 August, 2019

Abstract

In this study, Scorzonera L. (Asteraceae) collected from Pakistan was investigated by its morphology, leaf epidermal anatomy and pollen grain characteristics. Scorzonera is a perennial herb growing in wet nutrient-poor grasslands and wet heathlands. The stem texture is glabrous in Scorzonera ammophila, Scorzonera picridioides and Scorzonera virgata while tomentose in Scorzonera hondae and terete with fine striate above in Scorzonera laciniata. The bifacial leaves had anomotetracytic, amphianisocytic, brachyparacytic and staurocytic stomata. The pollen morphology results indicate that pollen grains in Scorzonera were lophate. Based on sculpturing, all pollens were echinate in Scorzonera. The pollen class was trizonocolporate in all taxa.

Key words: Morphology, palynology, anatomy, Scorzonera L., scanning electron micrographs, Pakistan.