Pollen Morphology of the Family Lamiaceae in Mongolia

Pollen morphology of 21 taxa belonging to 16 genera of the subfamilies: Ajugoideae, Scutellarioideae, Nepetoideae and Lamioideae from Mongolia were studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Pollen morphology in the family Lamiaceae pollen showed considerable variation in size (very small, small, medium to big), shape (prolate-spheroidal, subprolate to prolate) and exine ornamentation (tricolpate and hexacolpate; tuberculate, microreticulate, bireticulate or polish). Our study suggests pollen characters could be a useful tool to differentiate varies between genera in the family Lamiaceae. The tricolpate pollen were found in the genera belonging to subfamilies Ajugoideae, Scutellarioideae, Lamioideae, whereas, hexacolpate pollen were found in genera belonging to the subfamily Nepetoideae.