Morphological Characteristics of Pollen Grains of Some Fruit Plants Belonging to the Family Rosaceae

The present study is devoted to the investigation of morphological characteristics of pollen grains of several fruit plants belonging to the family Rosaceae. Plants of this family bloom in early spring and represent an important source of nectar and pollen for honey bees, thereby playing a significant role in apiculture and in the development of bee colonies. At the same time, pollen is one of the main factors influencing the chemical composition and quality indicators of bee products. The aim of the study was to investigate the palynomorphological characteristics of pollen grains of several fruit plants belonging to the Rosaceae family distributed in the flora of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, to evaluate their taxonomic significance, and to expand existing scientific knowledge. The research material consisted of pollen obtained from cultivated plants grown in the region. Four species that bloom in early spring and are intensively visited by bees were selected: Amygdalus communis, Cerasus vulgaris, Malus orientalis, and Persica vulgaris. Pollen samples were collected during the mass flowering period in the morning at the stage of newly opened flowers. Morphological analyses were carried out using light microscopy. Samples were observed under a Bresser light microscope at forty-times ocular magnification and documented at a resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels. The results showed that pollen grains of all studied species were monad-type, radially symmetrical, isopolar, and tricolporate. Differences in pollen morphology among species were also identified. Cerasus species were characterized by sharply triangular pollen shape, wider colpi, and clearly expressed striate ornamentation. Malus orientalis pollen grains showed a more rounded contour, relatively narrow colpi, and weak ornamentation. Amygdalus communis pollen exhibited triangular contour and dense ornamentation. Persica vulgaris pollen demonstrated radial arrangement of apertures, colpi extending toward the poles, and a densely wrinkled exine surface. Thus, the obtained results demonstrate that morphological characteristics of pollen grains play an important role in species differentiation and taxonomic evaluation.