Zea mays
Taxonomy: Angiospermae, Poales, Poaceae, Zea
Published: 2021-01-04
Pollen Description
Shape, Size and Aperture
pollen unit: monad, dispersal unit and peculiarities: monad, size (pollen unit): large (51-100 µm), size of hydrated pollen (LM): 51-100 µm, shortest polar axis in equatorial view (LM): -, longest polar axis in equatorial view (LM): -, shortest diameter in equatorial or polar view (LM): 51-100 µm, longest diameter in equatorial or polar view (LM): 51-100 µm, pollen class: ulcerate, polarity: heteropolar, P/E-ratio: -, shape: spheroidal, outline in polar view: circular, dominant orientation (LM): polar, P/E-ratio (dry pollen): -, shape (dry pollen): irregular, outline in polar view (dry pollen): irregular, infoldings (dry pollen): irregularly infolded, aperture number: 1, aperture type: ulcus, aperture condition: ulcerate, aperture peculiarities: annulus, operculum
Ornamentation and Structure
LM ornamentation LM: psilate, nexine: -, sexine: -, SEM ornamentation SEM: microechinate, suprasculpture SEM: -, TEM tectum: eutectate, infratectum: columellate, foot layer: continuous, endexine: absent, intine: monolayered, wall peculiarities: -, supratectal element: -
Miscellaneous
pollen coatings: absent, reserves in cytoplasm: starch, polysaccharide vesicles, cell number: 3-celled, Ubisch bodies: present
Annotations: ulcus displaced, not in center of distal pole; shape ovoid to spheroidal
Author(s) of diagnosis: Diethart, Bernadette; Heigl, Helmut
Pictures
1. habitus
2. flower(s)
3. pollen grain with two sperm cells
4. upper focus
5. optical section
6. lower focus
7. hydrated pollen
8. hydrated pollen
9. hydrated pollen
10. polar view (distal)
11. equatorial view
12. aperture
13. aperture
14. exine surface
15. dry pollen grains
16. anther wall with Ubisch bodies
17. interapertural area of pollen wall
18. apertural area of pollen wall
19. pollen wall at transition of aperture and interapertural area
Picture legend
- habitus, photographer: Diethart, B.
- flower(s), photographer: Diethart, B.
- pollen grain with two sperm cells - fresh, unfixed, aceto-carmine, photographer: Diethart, B.
- upper focus - fresh, acetolyzed, unstained, photographer: Diethart, B.
- optical section - fresh, acetolyzed, unstained, photographer: Diethart, B.
- lower focus - fresh, acetolyzed, unstained, photographer: Diethart, B.
- hydrated pollen - fresh, glycerine, unstained, photographer: Heigl, H.
- hydrated pollen - fresh, glycerine, ruthenium red, photographer: Heigl, H.
- hydrated pollen - fresh, glycerine, ruthenium red, photographer: Heigl, H.
- polar view (distal) - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
- equatorial view - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
- aperture - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
- aperture - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
- exine surface - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
- dry pollen grains - dry, sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
- anther wall with Ubisch bodies - fresh, rehydrated (water) & critical point dried & sputter coated with gold, photographer: Diethart, B.
- interapertural area of pollen wall - fresh, glutaraldehyde & osmium & potassium ferrocyanide, modified Thiéry-test, photographer: Diethart, B.
- apertural area of pollen wall - fresh, glutaraldehyde & osmium & potassium ferrocyanide, uranyl acetate & lead citrate, photographer: Diethart, B.
- pollen wall at transition of aperture and interapertural area - fresh, glutaraldehyde & osmium & potassium ferrocyanide, uranyl acetate & lead citrate, photographer: Diethart, B.
Literature
- (1994) Exkursionsflora von Österreich : 1180
- (1998) Preparing living pollen material for scanning electron microscopy using 2,2-dimethoxypropane (DMP) and criticalpoint drying. Biotechnic Histochem 73: 137–143
Copyright and Citation
Cite this publication as:
Diethart B., Heigl H. 2021. Zea mays. In: PalDat - A palynological database. https://pc8.botanik.univie.ac.at/pub/Zea_mays/304812;jsessionid=3DAACDF8849FD905E284EC45E5870A43; accessed 2025-01-25