POLLEN MORPHOLOGY OF THE GENUS CARPINUS L. (CORYLACEAE) IN IRAN

Pollen morphology of four taxa of the genus Carpinus growing in Iran was examined, using light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The main aim of this study is to determine the pollen morphology of this genus in Iran and finding the pollen characteristics. The pollen grains are triporate, tetraporate and pentaporate and more or less subprolate. The shape of pores are more or less circular, the surface sculpture of exine is irregularly cone-shaped and the apex is pointed. C. orientalis Miller subsp. macrocarpa (Willk.) Browicz and C. betulus var. parva have the largest and smallest pollen size (mean = 35.18 ± 3.96 µm) and (mean = 24.95 ± 0.18 µm), respectively.