Coussareeae is a neotropical tribe with a complex taxonomic history. Several authors considered it very close to the tribe Psychotrieae owing to similarities in their morphological characteristics, such as solitary ovules. The tribe Coussareeae constitutes the largest basal clade of the subfamily Rubioideae, and most of its genera are well represented in Brazil. The tribe is resolved into three suprageneric clades, including the Coccocypselum and Coussarea-Faramea clades, whose representatives are found in Brazil. This study aimed to ascertain whether pollen attributes corroborate the currently proposed phylogeny and systematics of the tribe. For this, pollen grains of 33 species belonging to the Coccocypselum and Coussarea-Faramea clades were analyzed. Specimens were obtained from herbaria, treated by the acetolysis method, measured, photographed, and described using light and scanning electron microscopy. Morphological analysis showed that pollen grains were medium (25–50µm) or large (50–100µm) in size; isopolar or apolar; 2-porate, 3-porate, or 3-colporate; and oblate spheroidal, suboblate, prolate spheroidal, or subprolate. Ornamentation varied among clade representatives. Multivariate analysis of quantitative data revealed that pollen diameter, apocolpium side, pore diameter, colpus length, and endoaperture width were the most significant characters. It can be seen from the results that the studied clades are formed by palynologically distinct genera in terms of polarity, aperture type, and ornamentation. Palynology confirms the proposed taxonomic classification.

The Middle and Upper Devonian (Givetian and Frasnian) deposits of the Łysogóry-Radom and Lublin basins (south-central Poland) presented a diversified palynomorph assemblage. Numerous miospore taxa were documented and also contained well-preserved and varied plant remains, scolecodonts, acritarchs, chitinozoans, organic tentaculitoids, and bioclasts of uncertain biological affinity. Aneurospora extensa, Geminospora aurita, Samarisporites triangulatus and other documented taxa allowed us to establish two local miospore zones: the Givetian ‘Geminospora’ extensa zone and the Givetian–Frasnian Geminospora aurita zone. The time interval of these two zones shows the impoverishment in taxonomic diversity of microflora related to the rapid climate changes that are associated with the global Taghanic Event. The palynofacies analysis indicated a shallow-shelf environment with significant terrestrial input that was controlled by transgressive-regressive cycles, which confirmed the dynamic palaeoenvironmental changes. The new miospore taxon Retusotriletes radomskii is described.

The fully cored CSDP-2 Well, drilled in the central uplift region of the South Yellow Sea, China, provides indispensable and very significant research opportunities to understand the evolution of life, paleoclimate, paleogeography, and tectonics during the Permian in the South Yellow Sea area of the Yangtze paleoblock. We here analyze 118 samples from 893.7 to 1798.8 m depth of the CSDP-2 borehole core and recognize three Permian palynological assemblages, Laevigatosporites minimus – Florinites florini (MF) for the Kungurian mid-lower Qixia Formation, Crucisaccites quadratoides – Limitisporites rhombicorpus (QR) for the Capitanian lower Longtan Formation and Macrotoispora media –Anticapipollis tornatilis (MT) for the Wuchiapingian upper Longtan Formation, in an ascending order. These palynological assemblages indicate a warm and semi-humid rainforest paleoenvironment and a drying tendency of the paleoclimate. The present study area belongs to the Yangtze paleoblock in paleogeography and is a part of the Cathaysia flora based on mega-plant fossil records. However, our palynological assemblages show similarities to those of both South China and North China subzones and, especially, their pollen contents with arid coniferous affinities highly similar to those in the north part of the South China subzone. The presence of conifers might suggest a more arid climate in the North China subzone had started to affect the Yellow Sea area in the Lopingian (Permian).

The Papilionoideae is one taxonomically complex subfamily with high economic and medicinal potential. The pollen micro-morphology and taxonomic relevance of this subfamily are still poorly known in the island. Therefore, this study aims to provide new palynological information to correctly identify and define species boundaries within the subfamily. The species were collected from different geographical regions of Hainan Island. Both light and scanning electron microscopic techniques were used to observe pollen traits. Additionally, principal component analysis was performed to elucidate the variation among the taxa. A significant variation was found in exine sculpturing i.e. most of the taxa have reticulate type pollen while Desmodium triflorum has a psilate exine pattern. Variations were found on the surface of the reticula that can help to delimit the species from one another. Pollen type was observed as tricolporate and rarely tricolpate. Similarly, the colpus surface membrane morphology may also vary significantly from species to species i.e. scabrate, verrucate, gemmate, rugulate patterns. Besides, the mergo having various sculpturing found in Canavalia rosea, Desmodium triflorum, D. microphyllum Glycine max, Macroptilium atropurpureum, Erythrina crista-galli and Zornia gibbosa should be considered as a potential taxonomic trait for the subfamily. The maximum P/E ratio was found in Zornia gibbosa (2.24). Similarly, the maximum pollen size was found in Alysicarpus vaginalis (34.64 × 33.99 µm). Our study explored the pollen morphological traits and can be helpful to correctly identify the species and define species boundaries within Papilionoideae at various taxonomic levels. This study strengthens and supports the taxonomic position of the subfamily and will provide bases for further phylogenetic and molecular studies of Papilionoideae.

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A siliciclastic succession is exposed at the Faraghan mountain, northern Persian Gulf, southeastern Iran. A detailed, high-resolution palynological analysis was performed on the Zardkuh, Seyahou, Dargaz, and Sarchahan formations to verify the exact age and palaeogeographic position of the High Zagros Mountains. Two hundred surface samples from this succession were collected and analysed. Most samples yielded abundant and well-preserved chitinozoans, acritarchs, scolecodonts, and cryptospores. Fifty-three chitinozoan species (21 genera) were identified that permitted to establish the Eremochitina brevis, Desmochitina ornensis, Belonechitina henryi, Siphonochitina formosa, Belonechitina robusta, Tanuchitina fistulosa, Acanthochitina barbata, Armoricochitina nigerica, Ancyrochitina merga, Tanuchitina elongata, Spinachitina oulebsiri, and Spinachitina fragilis biozones in ascending stratigraphic order as was previously established for the North Gondwana Domain. These results indicate that the Zagros Mountain Belt of Iran was part of the North Gondwana palaeo-province during the Ordovician-Silurian. On the other hand, these chitinozoan biozones and other associated fauna (e.g. graptolites, trilobites, brachiopods, and conodonts) suggest a late Early Ordovician (Floian) to Early Silurian (Rhuddanian) age range, with unconformities, for this succession. Based on chitinozoan biozones, a distinctive hiatus is present between the Zardkuh and Seyahou formations at Faraghan mountain, which corresponds to the absence of jenkinsi-tanvillensis chitinozoan biozones, encompassing the latest Middle Ordovician (latest Darriwilian: stage slice Dw3) and the early Late Ordovician (Sandbian: the stage slices Sa1 to Sa2 and time slices 5a to 5b). Two chitinozoan species were erected: Belonechitina bifurcaspina sp. nov., Angochitina persianense sp. nov., and Eremochitina cf. brevis was left in open nomenclature.

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The Lower Devonian Klerf Formation is an exceptional Konservat-Lagerstätte, exposed at multiple sites in the Waxweiler region in the Eifel area, western Germany. It has been studied for its various fossils, mainly arthropods, fishes, plants, molluscs, brachiopods and crinoids. At Waxweiler, the strata are palaeoecologically interpreted as a prograding deltaic depositional system elongate from NW to SE in the Ardenno-Rhenish area. The Klerf Formation has, however, not been studied in full in terms of its microflora and microfauna. Our study of the formation from two different quarries in the Waxweiler area yielded fairly diverse miospore assemblages dominated by abundant organic matter in varying degrees of coalification. The miospore assemblages are mainly composed of classic Lower Devonian taxa of the Old Red Continent (Laurussia). These belong, among others, to the genera Ambitisporites, Apiculiretusispora and Retusotriletes. Biostratigraphically more important species recovered include Acinosporites lindlarensis, Apiculiretusispora brandtii, Cymbosporites asymetricus, Diatomozonotriletes franklinii, Emphanisporites annulatus, Verruciretusispora dubia and Verrucosisporites polygonalis. In addition, Emphanisporites foveolatus, which is known only from a limited area in the Ardenno-Rhenish region, is also identified, indicating an earliest Pragian to middle Emsian age for the composite section. These assemblages are found to be accompanied by reworked phytoplankton to a much lesser extent. Our results reveal a much larger palaeobotanical diversity from the Rhineland outcrops than previously known, indicating a well-developed Psilophyton-type vegetation with related plants. The results further suggest a likely presence of plants such as Leclercqia and Pertica.

Whether insect pollinators use wind-pollinated plants have implications for insect monitoring and conservation strategies in a wide range of environments. Habitats, such as coniferous plantations and arable crops of the Poaceae family are not typically considered priority for the monitoring of insect pollinators or habitat enhancement. Further many pollinator monitoring techniques focus on flowers and do not count insect interactions with wind-pollinated plants. Using two honey bee colonies from distinct environments (urban and rural) in north east England, we investigate the use of wind-pollinated plants over the summer of 2021. We combine honey bee pollen pellet analysis with airborne pollen sampling to investigate whether honey bees use three common wind-pollinated plant groups (Pinus sp., Plantago sp. and Poaceae) that have previously been considered sources of forage. Our results show that honey bees do forage on Plantago and Poaceae pollen, in line with previous studies. However, we show statistically that Pinus pollen is contamination from the atmosphere and not actively collected. It is important to consider airborne contamination before making interpretations based on small amounts of pollen in samples of bee products. The use of members of the Poaceae has implications for insect pollinator monitoring in urban environments, which has not always been considered in past studies.

Pollen micromorphology and ultrastructure of fifteen species from the genera Cardiocrinum, Fritillaria, Lilium, and Notholirion were examined by Light Microscopy (LM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Our results showed that all quantitative characters of pollen micromorphology (LM and SEM observation) varied in the studied taxa. Pollen grains in all studied species were oblate except Notholirion bulbuliferum with oblate-spheroidal. The studied species of Fritillaria had medium pollen type and the rest showed large. Although, two major exine ornamentation in central region of equatorial surface and sulcus margin region were seen such as reticulate (taxa of Cardiocrinum) and reticulum-cristatum (taxa of genera of Lilium, and Notholirion). These characters were varied in taxa of Fritillaria in both regions (foveolate-rugulate, reticulate and foveolate). Also, there were three sulcus membrane ornamentation including striate-tuberculate (Fritillaria gibbosa), tuberculate (Lilium lophophorum and with the rest studied taxa of Fritillaria), and macrotuberculate (the genera Cardiocrinum, Lilium, and Notholirion). Moreover, three kinds of lumina types and two kinds of muri types were detected among these taxa. The qualitative and quantitative characters of the pollen wall were varied such as kind of endexine situation, number of intine layers in the sulcus membrane region, and thickness of elements from the pollen wall. Dendrogram of all qualitative and quantitative palynological characters constructed two pollen groups, five pollen types, and four pollen subtypes. The palynological dendrogram verified that Nomocharis is part of genus Lilium. Palynological types supported the heterogeneous phylogenetic situation of Cardiocrinum. Palynological subtypes were partly valuable in delimitation of sectional levels of the genus Lilium.

The microspores morphology of 18 species of Selaginellaceae found in Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, is studied using light microscopy and electron microscopy. Of the 18 taxa examined here, the study of five taxa is attempted for the first time using an electron microscope. The species studied exhibit variation in size, shape, color and ornamentation of the microscpores. The equatorial diameter ranges from 11 to 57 µm. The tetrad form of the microscpores is recorded in four species. The variations in the microscpores ornamentation within the species of the family are useful in identification, classification and taxonomic distinction of the species. An identification key is provided for the species under study. This research is beneficial for the enumeration of basic information of microspores of the family and for the precise identification of Selaginella species. Statistical analysis of the distal and proximal surface ornamentation of the microspores is also provided.

A method for the relatively fast, inexpensive, and safe dissolution of rock gypsum and rock anhydrite for the recovery of palynomorphs is described. Rock gypsum and rock anhydrite deposits are widely distributed geographically and throughout the geologic column. They represent deposition under environmental conditions unlike those of most other rock types. Consequently, palynomorphs and other microfossils recovered from these rocks may present unique paleontological and biostratigraphic insights not provided by other strata. Despite their relatively high solubility, rock gypsum and rock anhydrite tend to be difficult to process and do not yield to typical palynological methods. Consequently, potentially important sequences of sulfate rocks may be largely neglected in palynological investigations. The method described herein utilizes gently boiling dilute (10%) hydrochloric acid (HCl) and will completely dissolve 25 grams of rock gypsum in approximately 1.5hours. Rock anhydrite can be similarly treated but takes substantially longer than gypsum to completely dissolve. Important aspects of the process include boiling HCl at or near 102°C, a beaker without a pouring spout but with a loose-fitting cover to reduce evaporation, and quenching of the hot solution in cool, filtered water to prevent reprecipitation of the dissolved calcium sulfate. The size of the rock fragments treated by this process also appears to be of importance with larger pieces of gypsum but smaller pieces of anhydrite producing the best results. Palynomorphs recovered by this method show no apparent deterioration of the exines. In addition to palynomorphs (spores, pollen, dinoflagellates, etc.), the method also resulted in the recovery of other acid insoluble fossils such as foraminiferal test linings, scolecodonts, arthropod fragments and diatoms as well as amorphous inorganic material and acid insoluble minerals. The method is also safe as long as appropriate precautions are taken.

Previous studies have discovered arboreal pollen in non-forested areas on the Tibetan Plateau, which are mostly anemophilous type and regarded as a result of the Asian summer monsoon. However, the relationship between the spatial distribution of wind-pollinated pollen and monsoon has seldom been illustrated quantitatively. Here, we used 676 surface samples (647 compiled, 29 new samples) to examine the characteristics of the spatial distribution patterns of 13 anemophilous pollen taxa on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, by employing the spatial interpolation technique. Then, we quantified the correlation between the distributions of these taxa and monsoon wind via Mantel test. The results show that the anemophilous pollen represents at least half percentage of the total pollen assemblages in most areas of the study region. Anemophilous tree pollen mainly distributes in the south and southeastern part, while anemophilous non-tree pollen does in the opposite and perpendicular direction. The distributional pattern of non-anemophilous pollen reflects that their corresponding plants most likely constitute the understory components of different forests or the minorities of non-forests communities. Mantel tests indicate that the anemophilous tree pollen has a highest correlation with the Asian summer monsoon. Anemophilous pollen, overall pollen assemblages and anemophilous pollen with air sacs have higher correlations with summer monsoon. Contrarily, non-anemophilous pollen has relatively weak correlation. Furthermore, we found that the relationships between various pollen groups or separate taxa and the Asian summer monsoon are dependent on sample types. The lake sediment surface samples had the strongest signal of the Asian summer monsoon among the different sample types. Our findings provide the strong evidence of the Asian summer monsoon influencing the pollen distribution patterns. More importantly, the quantification of this correlation between anemophilous tree pollen and the Asian summer monsoon offers the fundamentally theoretical basis of reconstructing paleo-monsoon by the proxy of windborne pollen taxa.

The current study's objective is to infer the specific pollen morphologies of 27 different Euphorbia L. Turkish taxa were cultivated using LM and SEM. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) is developed and cluster analysis is used to examine similarity grouping in this study. The results of the current study showed that tricolporate pollen grains are present in 24 different taxa of Euphorbia, whereas three other taxa E. denticulate, E. esula subsp. tommassiniana, and E. orientalis have tricolpate and tricolporate pollen grains. The results of this study also revealed that pollen grains frequently have a perforated pattern. The use of ornamentations with reticulate- and rugulate-perforate surfaces has also been discovered. The current study revealed that six taxa of Euphorbia have prolate-spheroidal pollen shapes, while 20 of the 27 Euphorbia under study have oblate-spheroidal pollen shapes. But only the pollen of E. grisophylla, 1 of the 27 tested Euphorbia taxa, has a subprolate shape. On the other hand, the PCA results explained 92.16% of the variation, and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram identified four taxonomic groupings, as follows: t es 1–4