Systematics and Phytogeography of Floral Diversity in Hindukush- Karakoram-Himalaya, Northern Pakistan

Abstract

This study is the first attempt to provide full taxonomic information on plant species in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya region of northern Pakistan. This study is separated into two sections: pollen morphology and anatomical study. A total of 96 species from 28 different families were collected, identified, examined, and investigated for their morphological traits. Lamiaceae and Asteraceae were identified as dominating families. The pollen grains were acetolyzed, quantified, and characterized using scanning electron microscopy. A statistical analysis of the pollen properties of 86 herbaceous plants revealed major similarities and differences between the species. With 23species, the Lamiaceae family was the most dominant producing pollen in various shapes such as prolate-spheroidal, sub-prolate, oblate-spheroidal, and hexa-colporate, with micro-reticulate and reticulate exine ornamentation. Exine thickness was highest in Vitex trifolia 4.09 μm and lowest in Stachys rigida 1.02 μm. Clinopodium vulgare showed highest 55.95 μm polar diameter and equatorial diameter 54.35 μm in Lambium album. Asteraceae is the second leading family having 12 species. Anaphalis nepelensis showed highest exine thickness as 36.3 μm among all the asteraceaeous taxa. The exine sculpture of selected pollen was investigated and found to be micro-reticulate, echinate, psilate, reticulate, and granulate, with pollen grains shaped as oblate, per-oblate, spheroidal, and sub-spheroidal. The pollen size varies from small to large, as do the apertures, which range from monocolpate to tricolpate. The pollen grains would be statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software. Exine surfaces were studied to determine whether they were psilate, echinate, or reticulate. The pollen grains of Fabaceae, Violaceae, Rananculaceae, Geraniaceae, Brassicaceae, Onagraceae, Aspergaceae, Balsaminaceae, Boraginaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Solanaceae were tricolpate, hexa-colporate and pentaporus. The clarification of the leaf micromorphology of the selected 50 herbaceous plants reveals characteristics like the stomata's categories, trichome type, and epidermal cell size and shape. The leaf micromorphology of 50 herbaceous plants revealed foliar anatomical traits, such as changes in epidermal cell, trichome morphology, and stomatal type. Stachys emodi has the longest epidermal cell length, measuring 69.54 μm at the adaxial and 66.65 μm at the abaxial surface. The highest length of guard cell was recorded as 36.45 μm and width of stomata abaxial and 36.15 at adaxial in Erigeron bonariensis 34.55 μm in asteraceaeous taxa. In anatomical features diacytic, actinocytic, anomocytic, anisocytic and paracytic were studied. The systematics research, particularly palynological and anatomical studies, is fully described in this work. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae have paracytic, diacytic, anomocytic, and anisocytic stomata, while Boraginaceae, Rubiaceae, Balsaminaceae, and Onagraceae had 􀀶􀁜􀁖􀁗􀁈􀁐􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁆􀁖􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀀳􀁋􀁜􀁗􀁒􀁊􀁈􀁒􀁊􀁕􀁄􀀐􀀮􀁓􀁄􀁋􀁕􀁜􀁄􀀃􀁎􀁒􀀐􀁒􀁉􀁕􀀃􀁄􀀩􀁐􀁏􀁒􀁕􀁄􀁏􀀫􀁌􀁐􀁄􀁏􀁄􀁜􀁄􀁖􀀏􀀃􀀱􀁒 􀁕􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁕􀁑􀀃􀀳􀁄􀁎􀁌􀁖􀁗􀁄􀁑 xiii actinocytic and anomocytic stomata, as well as diacytic and staurocytic stomata. Anticlinal wall patterns were found to be undulating, curving, straight, and sinuate. The epidermal cell shape was found to be polygonal, pentagonal, tetragonal, and irregular. Micromorphological traits that have been recognized serve as a foundation for proper identification of herbaceous species and their systematic relevance.