POLLEN CLASSES
Geos/Anth 481/581

• VESICULATE: with hollow vesicles (alveoli) (often two) (Pinus, Abies, Picea)(Tsuga)
  
  
  
• POLYPLICATE: football shaped with longitudinal ridges (Ephedra)
  
  
  
• INAPTERTURATE: without an opening (Juniperus)
  
  
  
• (Monocolpate: Cycas):

• (Dyad:) pollen grain comprised of 2 cells
  
  
  
• TETRAD: pollen grain comprised of 4 cells (Ericaceae)
  
  
  
• POLYAD: pollen grain comprised of 8 or more cells (Acacia)
  
  
  

• INAPERTURATE without an opening Populus
  
  
  
  (FORATE:) with apertures
  
• PORATE: polar distance = equatorial distance Betula
  
  
  
  
  
• COLPATE: polar distance > equatorial distance Acer
  
  
  
  
  
• COLPORATE: pore in (equatorial plain of) furrow Salix
  
  
  
  
  
• HETEROCOLPORATE (3) furrows with pores alternating with (3) furrows without pores
  examples: heliotrope (Phacelia), dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium)
  
  
  
• FENESTRATE: large openings (fenestra, lacunae) in wall (Liguliflorae, Platyopuntia)
  
  
  See: http://www.geo.arizona.edu/palynology/ppapertr.html

• Mono-: one aperture (furrow or pore)
• (Di:) two apertures
• Tri-: three apertures
• Stephano-: more than three apertures on equatorial plane
• Peri-: more than three apertures over the grains surface
• Syn-: a single aperture (fused apertures) encircling the grain
  
  

• COSTAE: thickening of inner layer of exine
  
  • transversalis: transverse furrow Umbelliferae
    
  • aequatorialis: thickening continuous, or "ends" of furrow indistinct Ptelea
    
• ANNULUS: thickening of outer layer of exine Gramineae
  
• VESTIBULUM: separation of inner and outer layers of exine Betula
  
• OPERCULUM: exine covering aperture, which can become detached Agave, Simmodsia
  
• MARGO: sculptural or structural feature of exine at aperture other than costa or annulus. examples: thinning of exine, change in reticulation size, abrupt change of wall angle into aperture. Salix, Rosa
  

• C-C: inter-copal distance at ends
  
• iC-Lt: inter-copal distance at equator
  
• C-Lg, C-Lt, P-Lg, P-Lt: aperture polar (Lg) and equatorial (Lt) measurient
  
• Mg-M, An-M: aperture margo equatorial measurient
  
• PAI = C-C / E