Seed and pollen morphology and numerical analysis of Tephrosia Pers. (Fabaceae) and their taxonomic significance

Abstract

The seed and pollen grain morphology of the genus Tephrosia Pers. in Egypt was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Qualitative and quantitative characters of seeds and pollen grains are presented. The data suggest that several seed and pollen morphological characters can be used to distinguish the taxa of Tephrosia. Based on UPGMA clustering analysis and PCA, three main clades were recognized: Clade A comprising T. kassasii, clade B comprising T. apollinea, T. purpurea, T. quartiniana, and T. uniflora, and clade C comprising T. nubica. The seed and pollen morphological data obtained in this study provide additional characters that assist in the classification of the genus. Dichotomous artificial keys based on seed and pollen data of the investigated taxa are presented.