Pollen morphology of Philippine species of Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae, Euphorbiaceae s.l.)

The pollen morphology of 21 Philippine Phyllanthus species belonging to five subgenera and eleven sections was studied using scanning electron microscopy. Eleven pollen types were recognized, of which seven were previously reported and four are newly described, i.e., the Phyllanthus erythrotrichus type, the P. glochidioides type, the P. securinegoides type and the Pilate type. The pollen morphology of the Philippine Phyllanthus species included in this study provides insight into the taxonomy as well as the phylogeny of these species.