Grana Palynologica

ISSN: 0374-793X (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/sgra19

Pollen Grains of Cocos Nucifera Linn.

P. K. K. Nair & Mithilesh Sharma

To cite this article: P. K. K. Nair & Mithilesh Sharma (1963) Pollen Grains of Cocos Nucifera
Linn., Grana Palynologica, 4:3, 373-379, DOI: 10.1080/00173136309429111

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00173136309429111

Published online: 01 Sep 2009.

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 POLLEN GRAINS OF COCOS NUCIFERA LINN.
BY
1. I<. I<. KAIR a n d JIITHILESH SHARAIA

Tlic study of pollen grains of cultivated plants lias attained great

importance in recent years due to its effective application in interpreta-
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tions of tlic taxonomy and inter-relationships of cultivated varieties.

In the cultivated plants, variations in pollen are a common fact and
sucli variations ~ a r ywith the difiercnt species. Iollen study of tlie
varieties of Cccnncc (3), BoupinvJleu, Hibiscus a n d Etiphorbicc pal-
cherrinm (G), and also of some cereal grasses (7) lias shown the
frequency of pollen variations in tlie different varieties to he a n
indes with which to interpret the taxonomy of the plants.
Tlie present investigation deals with tlic pollen morphology of
eight varieties of Cocos niicifera, collected from plants growing in the
Espcrimcntal Farm of tlie Central Coconut Research Station, Kayam-
gulam, Allcpy District. Kerala State (India). In malting tlic pollen
preparations, tlie acetolysetl (treated with a mixture of 0 parts acetic
anliydridc a n d 1 part conc. H,SO,) and unacetolysed grains stained
by safranin were combined i n the same slide (4). In taking tlic
percentage of sterility, only tlie unacetolysed grains, devoid of pro-
toplasm were considered. Tlie terminology used i n tlic pollen descrip-
tions is that used hy Nair (6). I n taking size Ineasurcments (Fig. 1 A)
at least 10 grains were considered.

Observations
Typically (Pigs. 1 I3 and 13) pollen grains of Cocos niicifcra are
1-colpatc, tciiuiinarginatc, elongate in shape [colpus distal in posi-
tion; Ertltman (I)], and the ectine surface is psilate or with a faint
granulate pattern. Taking all the rarieties together, variations are
seen i n tlic apertures, shape, esinc strata, and ectine ornamentation.
Also, there are variations in the percentage of sterility, and in the
voIumc of protoplasm contained in the non-sterile grains. The data
are sumniarised in Tab. I.
 374 1. K . K. NAIR AND M , SIIARMA
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Figs. 1-12. Pollen morphology of Cocos nucifera-1: A, Pollen size measurements; B,

typical pollen grain; 2: spheroidal p a i n with a pore; 3 spheroidal grain W h a colpus;
4: trichotornocolpate grain; 5 and 6: spiraperturate grains; 7: one colpate grain with a
thickened colpus margin; 8-11: erinc strata; 12 A-D: various surface patterns, A:
granulate; B: groups of granules, C and D: mottled.
ap: triradiate aperture, co: colpus, ec: cctine, en: endine,
sp: spiral, t: tubercle, th: thickening. Magnifications: 1B and 12, x 500; 8-12, x 1000;
2-7, x250.

POLLEN vmIaTIoxs.-Size and shape: Both spheroidal (Figs. 2,

3 and 15) and elongated grains occur i n varying percentages in every
variety. Spheroidal grains are masimuni in Dwarf orange (GG %),
followed by West coast brown (43 %), Philippines (30 %), Laccadire
(28 %), West coast red (27 %), West coast green (25 %), TallxDwarf
(15 %), and West coast tall (13 %). Unlike the variations in shape,
pollen size does not vary much, falling within a range of 40 p (i.c.
longest diamcter, E) to 58 p in the elongated acetolysed grains, and
38-47 p in the spheroidal ones. Howercr, in unacetolgsed grains,
size is less, being 43-58 M, (E) in tlie elongated grains and 32-44 ii
in tlie splicroidal ones. It follows that acctolysis causes a slight in-
crease in pollen size. The rate of size increase is different in the
 P O L L E S GRAINS OF COCOS NUCIFERA 376
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Figs. 13-18. Photomicrographs of pollen grains of COCOS riucifern ( x 750).--13: typical

pollen grain; 14: trichotomocolpate grain (slightly broken on one side); 15: spheroidal
grain with a pore; 1G: colpo-porate grain; 17: spiraperturate grain; 18: grain showing
endinous tubercles.
co: colpus; p: pore probably \!ith an operculum; sp: spiral aperture; t: tubercle.

rarious varieties, masimum occurring in West coast red (32 EC in-

creased to 42 p), while there is no substantial increase in West
coast tall.
Aperture: Apart from the typical l-eolpate type, tliere are l-colpate
(pore vide, diameter 21 p; Figs. 2 and 15 some slightly elongated,
34 X 2 8 p), trichotomocolpate (Figs. 4 and 14) and spiraperturate
 Downloaded by [36.79.249.4] at 18:42 02 June 2016

cr;
Tnble I. Pollen dlorphology of Cocos nrrcifern. 41
c;

Sizc ( p ) niicl Sizc ( p ) nntl

frequency (yo) frcqncncy ( y o )
Nnrnc of vnricly splicroitlal grains of clongatcd grains 1 2 3 4 5 G 7 8 9 10 11 1% 13 1 4 15

P El E,
Dwarf ornn gc u 44 GG b U 29 x 10 x 32 3 1 6 - + + - + - + - + - - - 8 + -
A 47 A 25X5OX28
IaxaclivevJ u 10 28 % U 23X4Gx27 72 76 - + - - + - + - + - - - 14.5 + -
A 4G n 51 x 3 2

Pliilippincsp U 43 39 b U 25 x 1 9 ~ 3 2 G 1 6 - + - + + - + - + - - - 8 + -
A 42 iz 50 x 27

Tnll Dwnrl u 35 15 0: U 2 1 x 18x2G 85 b - + - - + - + + + - - + 3 3 . 5 + + k3

A 38 h 32X52X27
west const troivntJ 57% b - + + + - - - 5 5 . 5 + +
z
u 36 43 % U 27X41X2G + + - -
A 40 A 52 x 29
\Vest coast green" u 37 25 76 U 2 7 x 4 3 ~ 3 3 75 06 - + - - + - - + + - + , - 2 + -
A 4G A 50 x 37
\Vc$t con$l rctl U 32 2% U 17.5 X 45 x 24 98?, + + - - + - + + + - + - 5 1 - +
A 42 A 25 x 5 5 x 2 8
\\cst coast lnll u 41 13 76 U 3 0 ~ 5 8 x 3 0 87 6 - + + + + + + + - + + + 7 3 . 5 - +
A 42 A 19 x 28

. 1, monoporntc: 2, monocolpntc: 3, trichotornocolpntc: d, spirnpcrturatc (disyncolpnlc): 5, tcnuimnrginnlc apcrtnrcs: G , crnssiinnrgirintc

apcrturcs, innrgiiis uncvcn (cndinc with ciitlocrncks); 7, crnssiinargiiiatc npcrtnrcs, innrgins cvcn: 8, ciiclinc with Lubcrclcs; 9, csiiic psilxtc;
10, LO-pntlcrn; 11, csiiic tnoltlcd; 12, csinc with grniirilcs in siiilrll groups: 13, stcrility (pcr cent); 11, protoplasinn nbrir~tlnnt;15, proto-
plasma scarcc. - A, ncclolyscd grains; U, unacctolyscd grains; prcscnt; -, absent.
+,
 IOLLES GRAISS O F C O C O S XUCIFERA 377
(Figs. 5, G a n d 17). In sonic grains of West coast tall, a colpus a n d
a pore combined in the same grain (colpo-poratc; Fig. 16) seemingly
occur. The above types arc only of rare occurrence and also are
found in various combinations i n the dinerent x-aricties. All tlie types
cscept tlie 1-porate ones occur in the West coast tall.
~ 1 i ecolpus is either crassimarginate (Fig. 7) or fenuimarginate.
In West coast green all the grains are tenuimarginatc and in other
varieties both types occur. Also, the thick margin is either straight,
or uneven as in West coast tall.
Esine strata: Tlic esinc is about 2.5 ,ii thick, and conspicuously
folded or remains unfolded, both types being present in tlie snnie
variety, and often presents a wavy outline towards the inner margin,
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forming small finger-like tubercles (Fig. 11 t).

Esine ornamentation: Kctine surface is generally psilate (Fig. 1B)
hut in a few grains of West coast tall a n d Tall XDwarf, tlie sur-
face is granulate, granules being*sometimes in groups, while tlie
folds of mine present a mottled appearance in West coast green,
West coast red, and West coast tall (Fig. 12 A-D).
IOLLESsTmILr-r~.-Sterility is highest in West coast tall (73.5 %)
followed by West coast brown (55.5 %), West coast red (51 %),
Tall x Dwarf (33.5 %), Laccadire (14.5 %), Dwarf orange and
Philippines [S % each; 33-33 % in Pliilippines according to Altlaba,
1021 (2)], and West coast green (2 %). From a study of several rarie-
ties, an arerage of 25 % sterility (range 23-28 %) is reported for
Cocos niicifera (2).
~RoToPLas~r.-The protoplasm in unacetolyscd grains is either
abundant as in the grains of Dwarf orange, Laccadivc, Ihilippincs,
and West coast green, or scarce as in West coast red and West coast
tall. Both conditions occur togctlier in Tall x I h a r f , and West coast
brown.
Discussion
Tlic fact that tlic cITects of cultivation find expression in pollen as
noted in herbs like Canna (3) and cereals (7) or shrubs like U o i t p i n -
uillcn and Hibiscits ( 6 ) has its parallel in tlie arboreal species Cocos
niicifera. In the latter species, pollen grains are basically 1 -colpate,
and elongate along tlic equator of the grain as in most other monocots.
It is reported that pollen grains arc spheroidal in shape when fresh, and
later hecome elongated (2). However, in tlie present study, both
elongated and splieroidal grains h a r e been found to occur in varying
 378 P. 1:. I<. XAIR AND >I. SIIARMA

percentages in tlie different varieties, tlie masimum percentage of

spheroidal grains occurring in Ilwarf orange (66 %), and tlie minimuin
i n West coast red. Other pollen variations include those of tlie colpus
type [trichotomocolpatc; see also Erdtman. (I); l-porate, spirapertu-
rate etc.], tlie colpus margin being either tcnuimarginate or crassi-
marginate, csine strata showing endinods tubercles a n d also fold-
ings, and ectine surface psilate, granulate or mottled patterns. lhc
above variations occur in various combinations in the different spe-
cies. All the variation types occur in West coast tall; the minimum is
i n Laccadire. Incidentally, West coast tall, showing an array of
pollen pariations, is a tall n r i e t y which often is cross pollinated as
compared with tlic self-pollinated dwarfs (2). Similarly, sterility is
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also masimum in West coast tall.

Apart from the variations in esine morphology, there are also
differences in tlic amount of protoplasm contained in tlic pollen
grains. There is a n abundance of protoplasm in most varieties, but
in all the grains of West coast red and West coast tall, and in
some of those of West coast hewn" and.Tall x Dwarf, protoplasm
is scarce. Tlie presence of grains with abundant protoplasm and
those with a scarce amount i n Tall XDwarf, may b e taken as a n
indes to the hybrid nature of the variety.

Acknowledgement
We are very grateful to Professor I<. N. Kaul, F.L.S., Director,
Kational Botanic Gardens, Lucknow, for his encouragement in the
course of this study. We are indebted to Dr. I<. P. 1. Menon, Director,
Central Coconut l~cscarcli Station, Kayamgulnm (Kerala), for
supplying the material used in this study.
Palynology Laboratory Xational Botanic Gardens. Lucknow

REFERENCES
ERDTMAX, G., 1052: Pollen 3Iorphology and Plant Taxonomy. Angiosperms.
Uppsala (Almqvist and Wiksell). (1)
RIEXOX, I<. P. A. and PASDALAI, I<. hl., 1958: The Coconut Palm. A mono-
graph. Ernakulam, S. India. (2)
NAIR, P. I<. I<., 10GOa: Pollen grains of cultivated plants I. Canna. - J.
Indian bot. SOC.,30(3): 373-81. (3)
- 10GOb: A modification in the method of pollen preparation. - J. sci.
industr. Res., 19C (1): 26-27. (4)
 P O L L E S G R A I X S OF C O C O S K U C I F E R A 379
- 10618: Pollen grains of Indian plants. I. - Bull. nat. Bot. Gardens
(India), No. 53. (5)
- 1061 b: Pollen grains of cultivatcd plants. 11. Bougainoillaea, Hibiscus
and Buphorbia pulcherrima. - J. Indian bot. SOC.,40(3): 365-81. (6)
- 1062: Pollen grains of cultivated plants. 111. Great Alillet and Maize. -
Indian J. agri. Sci., 32: 10G-200. (7)
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