Pollen Morphology of Some Melliferous Rosaceae Species of the Leningrad Region

Abstract—Using light and scanning electron microscopes, the pollen morphology of 11 wild and introduced melliferous species widely distributed in the Leningrad Region and belonging to 9 genera of the Rosaceae family was studied. It was found that pollen grains of all the studied species are of medium size, 25–40 microns, occasionally slightly smaller, most of them are 3-furrowed, in Sanguisorba officinalis L. 6-furrowed, with a striate or derived from it sculpture. In the dispersed state, pollen is easily determined to the family, and often to the genus. However, species of Rosa and Rubus are poorly distinguished by pollen. The data obtained can help honey producers to simplify the botanical identification of Rosaceae pollen in tested honey samples.