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The aim of this study was to identify plant species visited by Apis mellifera L. in honey producing areas with typical Caatinga vegetation in the State of Bahia, as well as morphologically characterize pollen grains of the most representative species. Flowering specimens were collected from both areas, herborized, identified and deposited at the HUNEB herbarium. Analyses of floristic similarities were performed between eleven municipalities close to the study areas. Pollen was collected from all specimens, acetolyzed, measured, statistically analyzed, morphologically described, and photographed in light microscopy. Of the total of species recorded, 67.46 % were regarded as having beekeeping importance, with the richest botanical families being Fabaceae, Malvaceae and Asteraceae. Additionally, 37.5 % of the recorded species were herbs. The analyzed municipalities showed 84 % of floristic similarity. Of the total species recorded with visits by A. mellifera, 25.52 % had their pollen grains already described in the literature as monads, tetrads and polyads; isopolar, apolar and heteropolar; and mostly prolate spheroidal shape. Sizes varied from small to large, and the amb circular was predominant. The exine ornamentation was greatly diversified, varying from psilate to echinate. The obtained data corroborate the palynological knowledge of plants regarded as having beekeeping importance within the Caatinga.

This study aims to expand knowledge of the pollen morphology of Passifloraceae and contribute to the taxonomic delimitation of the group by morphologically characterizing pollen grains of species that occur in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Thirty-six species occur in the state, one of the genus Mitostemma (M. glaziovii) and 35 of the genus Passiflora. Pollen samples were acetolysed, measured, and described using light and scanning electron microscopy. The results group the studied species into four pollen types based mainly on aperture type and number, opercular variation, and the presence/absence of ornamentation elements inside the lumina of the reticulum: Pollen type I - species belonging to the subgenera Astrophea and Deidamioides; pollen type II - subgenus Decaloba; pollen type III - subgenus Passiflora; and pollen type IV - M. glaziovii, with pollen characteristics that separate it from the other species analyzed. The results reinforce the recognition of three subgenera of Passiflora. Morphopalynologically the species have very similar pollen types except for those of the subgenus Deidamioides, which are quite diverse and thus included in another pollen type. The results reveal the importance of pollen grains for the taxonomic study of Passifloraceae.

RESUMO A morfologia polínica de 17 táxons de Convolvulaceae [Bonamia agrostopolis, Evolvulus (nove espécies) - Tribo Cresseae) e Jacquemontia (sete espécies) - Tribo Jacquemontieae)] foi descrita sob microscopia de luz (ML) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) com objetivo de contribuir com a palinologia e taxonomia do grupo. O material polinífero foi retirado de anteras e/ou botões florais de exsicatas de herbários, acetolisado, analisado quantitativa e qualitativamente sob ML e MEV, descrito e ilustrado. Os dados aqui apresentados sobre a morfologia polínica das espécies de Bonamia, Evolvulus e Jacquemontia estudadas evidenciaram que B. agrostopolis apresenta grãos de pólen médios, isopolares, microequinados, granulados e o tipo apertural 3-colpado, presente na maioria das espécies estudadas de Jacquemontia. Por outro lado, as espécies de Evolvulus, J. gracillima e J. pentanthos compreendem o mesmo tipo polínico, caracterizado pelos grãos de pólen esferoidais, pantocolpados e microequinados. As demais espécies de Jacquemontia caracterizaram-se pelos grãos de pólen com forma variando de subprolata a prolata-esferoidal, zonocolpados e exina microequinada em todas as espécies, com grânulos, perfurações e microrretículo em algumas espécies. Observou-se aqui uma indefinição dos tipos polínicos que delimitam Cresseae e Jacquemontieae, visto que há afinidades palinológicas entre espécies das duas tribos. As espécies de Evolvulus formam um grupo estenopolínico. No entanto, o presente estudo apresenta descrições palinológicas inéditas para nove espécies, contribuindo para a ampliação dos dados palinológicos e confirmando o carácter euripolínico de Convolvulaceae.

The palynology of the following 16 species of Rubiaceae, from Brejinho das Amestistas, was investigated: Coccocypselum hirsutum Bartl. ex DC., Cordiera rigida Kuntze, Coutarea hexandra K.Schum., Declieuxia fruticosa Kuntze, Diodella apiculata (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Delprete, D. radula (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Delprete, D. teres Small., Emmeorhiza umbellata K.Schum., Leptoscela ruellioides Hook. f., Mitracarpus baturitensis Sucre., Mitracarpus villosus Cham. & Schltdl., Palicourea rigida Kunth, Psyllocarpus asparagoides Mart., Richardia grandiflora Steud., Staelia aurea K. Schum., and Staelia galioides DC. The pollen grains were acetolysed to and their morphological characters were analyzed using light and scanning electron microscopy. They varied in size from small to large; were suboblate to subprolate; inaperturate (P. rigida), colpate and colporate in the remaining species, with an aperture number that varied from three to several. The exines were microreticulate in most species, reticulate (C. hirsutum, C. rigida and P. rigida), bireticulate (D. fruticosa), microechinate-perforated (C. hexandra), echinate-granulate (R. grandiflora), echinate-granulate-perforate (D. apiculata and D. teres), and psilate (P. asparagoides). Based on the results, palynological data can be used to distinguish these species. Rubiaceae foi representada na flora de Brejinho das Ametistas por dezesseis espécies, as quais foram tratadas palinologicamente no presente estudo: Coccocypselum hirsutum Bartl. ex DC., Cordiera rigida Kuntze, Coutarea hexandra K.Schum., Declieuxia fruticosa Kuntze, Diodella apiculata (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Delprete, D. radula (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Delprete, D. teres Small., Emmeorhiza umbellata K.Schum., Leptoscela ruellioides Hook. f., Mitracarpus baturitensis Sucre., Mitracarpus villosus Cham. & Schltdl., Palicourea rigida Kunth, Psyllocarpus asparagoides Mart., Richardia grandiflora Steud., Staelia aurea K. Schum., Staelia galioides DC. Para análise sob microscopia de luz e eletrônica de varredura, os grãos de pólen foram acetolisados, mensurados, descritos, foto e eletromicrografados. Os grãos de pólen variaram de pequenos a grandes; suboblatos a subprolatos. Inaperturados em P. rigida, colpados, e colporados na maioria das espécies, com número de aberturas variável de três a várias. Exina predominantemente microrreticulada entre as espécies, sendo reticulada (C. hirsutum, C. rigida, P. rigida), birreticulada (D. fruticosa), microequinada-perfurada (C. hexandra), equinado-granulada (R. grandiflora), equinado-granulado-perfurada (D. apiculata e D. teres), e psilada (P. asparagoides). Os resultados mostraram que as espécies são palinologicamente distintas.