Pollen characters provide taxonomically valuable information that has long been used in classification of this plant family. Indeed, many keys require knowledge of the pollen surface features and apertures to arrive at a genus name.
Yet, despite their importance for taxonomy, pollen characters are unevenly reported. Images are scattered throughout the published literature and we suspect there is a large cache of pollen images sitting in research files that will never formally be published. Taxon sampling has been sporadic, with widespread, common species having been sampled many times while much of the rest of the family is still palynologically unknown.
To address these problems in information availability and access, we offer this web-based pollen atlas. The site provides a collaborative platform for sharing pollen information about Convolvulaceae. Begun by three researchers with long term interests in the systematics, taxonomy, and evolution of the family, we hope to involve others. Those who might find pollen information useful include palynologists, palaeobotanists, climatologists, apiculturists, agricultural extension agents, students, systematists, and soil scientists, among others.
Photographs here
initially are from the files of the organizers. We hope others will come forward and
share their images. For information on how to contribute, click
Our goal in creating this web site is
to bring together a comprehensive atlas of pollen images for the entire family.
This atlas will assemble a large block of previously unavailable data for comparative purposes. The data
will
also identify gaps, and there are sure to be many, where there is no
pollen information available. This atlas allows two principal objectives to be met --
(1) to enable broad survey and comparative study of pollen across the family;
and (2) to outline the agenda for further work to fill the gaps in
knowledge.
Aniseia,
Argyreia, Astripomoea, Blinkworthia, Bonamia, Calycobolus, Calystegia, Cardiochlamys, Cladostigma, Convolvulus, Cordisepalum, Cressa, Cuscuta,
Decalobanthus, Dichondra, Dicranostyles, Dinetus,
Dipteropeltis, Duperreya, Erycibe, Evolvulus, Falkia, Hewittia, Hildebrandtia, Humbertia, Hyalocystis,
Ipomoea, Iseia, Itzaea, Jacquemontia, Lepistemon, Lepistemonopsis, Lysiostyles, Maripa, Merremia, Metaporana, Nephrophyllum, Neuropeltis, Neuropeltopsis, Odonellia, Operculina, Paralepistemon, Petrogenia, Polymeria, Porana, Poranopsis, Rapona, Remirema, Rivea, Seddera, Stictocardia, Stylisma,
Tetralocularia, Tridynamia, Turbina, Wilsonia, Xenostegia
Pollen Images
Other Resources
Partners in the Convolvulaceae Pollen
Atlas
website:
NAME
INSTITUTION
URL FOR WEBSITE
George W. Staples
The
Herbarium
(SING), Singapore Botanic
Garden, Cluny Road, Singapore 259569
http://www.sbg.org.sg/research/herbariumlibrary.asp
Mark Carine
Department of Botany, The Natural History Museum (BM).
Cromwell Road, London SW7 5B, United Kingdom
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/staff-directory/botany/m-carine/index.html
Daniel F. Austin
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Herbarium (ARIZ),
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
http://ag.arizona
.edu/PLS/faculty/austin.htm
Other
collaborators
For comments, corrections, or queries about these webpages, contact Dan Austin (dr_ipomoea@yahoo.com)
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