• Applied Microscopy
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.195-208
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• 2006

Using light and scanning electron microscopy morphological studies of pollens were conducted to determine the sectional boundary and the relationships among eight species of section Zygophyllidium and its five related species of subg. Poinsettia. Pollen characters of 13 species were described, and their diagnostic keys were presented here. Based on the sculpturing patterns and the results of numerical analysis using 10 pollen characters 13 species were divided into four Pollen types: type I, having micro-reticulate shaped pollen (E. hexagona, E. lagunensis, E. hexagonoides and E. bilobata), type II, having reticulate shaped pollen (E. delicatula, E. extipulata, E. dentata, E. heterophylla, E. pulcherrima and E. cyathophora), type III, micro-reticulate shaped pollen with platten muri (E. lacera), and type IV, haying foveolate shaped pollen grains (E. chersonesa and E. eriantha). The results of pollen morphological studies suggest that the sect. Zygophyllidium should be delimited based on only four species, E. hexagona, E. lagunensis, E. hexagonoides and E. bilobata, E. delicatural and E. exstipulata of sect. Zygophyllidium must be transferred to subg. Poinsettia based on pollen morphology. E. eriantha and E. chersonesa having forveolate sculpturing pattern of pollen grains seem to be closely related with species from subg. Agaloma, and additional studies of these species are needed to determine the species relationships within Agaloma group.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.389-403
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• 2008

Seed morphological studies of 12 species of sect. Zygophyllidium and related Poinsettia using light and scanning electron microscopy were conducted to test the hypotheses of the sectional boundaries and species relationships. Characteristics of seeds, and the keys of identification of 12 species were presented. Seeds of 12 species were divided into 6 types based on the UPGMA tree from numerical analyses using nine seed characters. Type I, including E. uniglandulosa, is characterized by the foveolate seed with granulate testa cells. Type II, including species E. exstipulata, E. lagunensis, E. bilobata, E. hexagonoides and E. chersonesa, was recognized by the presence of inter-cellular granules among testa cells. Type III, including E. cyathophora, has a seed with acute apex, and concentric circles on the surface of testa cells. Type IV, including species of E. dentata and E. pentadactyla, has a seed with caruncle and lacking inter-cellular granules among testa cells. Type V, including E. hexagona, was characterized by the ovate seeds and lacking inter-cellular granules. Type VI, including E. eriantha and E. lacera, was recognized by the seeds with rectangular shape with caruncle. Based on the seed morphology, sect. Zygophyllidium should be defined only species with E. exstipulata, E. lagunensis, E. bilobata, E. hexagonoides and E. chersonesa. E. hexagona, traditionally included in this section, was closely related to E. dentata from Poinsettia.