Pollen Morphology and Systematic Relationship of the Family Polygonaceae

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. Methods adopted in the present study. 2. Scope of the present study and review of literature. 3. Phytogeographical notes and fossil records. 4. Materials. 5. Morphological characters of the genera studied. 6. Observation and discussion. 7. Aconogonum (Meissn.) Reich. 8. Afrobrunnichia Hutch. & Dalziel. 9. Atraphanis Linn. 10. Bistorta Mill. 11. Calligonum Linn. 12. Chorizanthe R. Br. ex. Benth. 13. Emex Neck ex champdera. 14. Eriogonum Michx. 15. Fagopyrum Mill. 16. Fallopia Adams. 17. Koenigia Linn. 18. Muehlenbeckia Meissn. 19. Oxyria Hill. 20. Persicaria Mill. 21. Polygonella Michx. 22. Polygonum Linn. (s. str.). 23. Pteropyrum Jaub. & Spach. 24. Reynourtria Houtt. 25. Rheum Linn. 26. Rumex Linn. 27. Triplaris Loefl. ex. L. 28. General pollen morphological characters of the family polygonaceae and palynological findings. 29. Discussion on polygonum Linn. (s. lat.). 30. Palynological findings. 31. Evolutionary trend in pollen morphology in the family polygonaceae. 32. Different disciplines of botany in better understanding of the classification and relationship of the family. 33. Anatomical and epidermal evidences. 34. Cytological evidences. 35. Embryological evidences. 36. Phytochemical evidences. 37. Palynological evidences. 38. Correlation of pollen morphology with taxonomical and other evidences and conclusion. 39. Materials studied. References. Glossary of pollen morphological terms used. Index.

"From the foreword: "Polygonaceae is a family which is very much controversial from taxonomical and phylogenetical point of view. The genera of the family have been treated differently by the taxonomists from time to time. In this work, the author has dealt the genera of the family, particularly the disputed & controversial ones with the morphology of the pollen grains, fine structure and ornamentation of the exine and aperture characters very cautiously and nicely and correlate those characters with other available biosystematical information from other branches of botany. In different chapters, author made a critical evaluation of palynological characters found to be taxonomically useful for general system of classification as well as infrafamilial recognition of taxa. Status of the genus Polygonum L. (s.I.) is very much discussed taxonomically in the past & present. Palynologically author supports the upliftment of certain section of Polygonum L. (s.l.) to the genera rank as suggested by different taxonomists. Author's observation reveals that the genera Eriogonum, Fallopia, Koenigia, Persicaria, Aconogonum and Bistorta are very much distinct palynologically. Correlating the palynological observations with taxonomical and other evidences the author supports the taxonomic circumscription of Nakai (1926) and Hedburg (1946) and also phylogenitic relationships as proposed by Nowicke & Skvarla (1977).