Exomorphological variation in Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall. (Ericaceae: Vaccinioideae) in India: A Micromorphological solution from leaf stomata and pollen morphology
1,3S. Panda, 2,3T. Majumder and 3D. S. Mahanty
1Angiosperm Taxonomy & Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Botany Department, Maulana Azad College, University of Calcutta, Kolkata-700013 (India) (present address) 2Nimgram Beluri H.S. School, PO. Beluri, Murshidabad-742226, West Bengal (India) (present address) 3Post-Graduate Department of Botany, Barasat Govt. College, Kolkata-700124 (India) Corresponding Author: bgc.panda@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall., a variable species in the family Ericaceae, is restricted to some south-eastern Asian countries viz., India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Vietnam. This work includes field and herbarium-based exomorphology and Light as well as Scanning Electron Microscopic studies of leaf stomata and pollen morphology of six distinct populations of G. fragrantissima Wall. collected from three phytogeographical regions in India including tables of comparative studies of different populations to stabilize the species delimitation based on leaf stomata and pollen morphological data.