Pollen morphology was studied in 72 species and 20 genera of the zygomorphic‐flowered Solanaceae (tribe Salpiglossideae as traditionally defined, the ‘basal’ nightshades), inclusive of their putative relatives. Results are compared with two markedly different current treatments of taxonomic relationships within this heterogenous group. Fifteen principal pollen types are recognised based on grain size, shape, aperture type, features of sculpturing, exine stratification and dispersal mode. Pollen grains may be 3–7 zonocolpate to colporate and oblate‐prolate, with polar axis measurements ranging from 15 μm to more than 60 μm. In most taxa the exine is characterised by a reticulate ornamentation pattern, but in others it is rugulate, striate, punctate or micoechinate. Tetrahedral tetrads (acalymmate) were observed in species of four genera ‐ Bouchetia, Nierembergia, Reyesia and Salpiglossis ‐ with the walls of adjacent monads linked by direct exinal bridges. Palynological evidence does not appear to support present generic limits, and a preliminary set of taxonomically and potentially phylogenetically useful pollen characters is presented.
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Stafford et al. (2006) studied this question.