Article

This study focused on examining the micro-morphological characteristics of pollen grains from various Rubiaceae species found in Iraq. The species analyzed included: Wendlandia ligustroides, Sherardia arvensis, Crucianella parviflora, C. exasperata, C. kurdistanica, C. chlorostachys, C. gilanica, Asperula setosa, A. xylorhiza, A. laxiflora, A. insingis, A. friabilis, A. comosa, A. astrocephala, A. laxiflora. This study of pollen morphology has been carried out under LM with differential analysis by shape, size (polar and equatorial), and number of colpi. It comprised an evaluation based on qualitative and quantitative traits to test their role in the identification of species belonging to this large family and placement within it. Most grains qualified as small, presenting a shape spectrum that extended from oblate-spheroidal, oblate, sub-oblate, up to prolate-spheroidal. Much variation was found in the number of colpi, with three from Wendlandia ligustroides up to eleven from Sherardia arvensis.