Abstract
IN a recent discussion (Linnean Society, January 21) on the relationship between Dr. Hamshaw Thomas's new race of Jurassic fossil plants, the Caytoniales, and modern flowering plants, the challenge thrown out that winged pollen-grains are not to be found among existing Angiosperms was accepted, and the genus Sararanga (Pandanaceæ) was brought forward as possessing such. This appears to be incorrect. The genus was founded by Hemsley in 1894 (Journ. Linn. Soc., 30, 216) on the female flowers. Later the male flowers were described by Stapf in Hooker's “Icones Plantarum”, 26 (1899), and the pollen-grain is there stated to be “ellipsoideis minute papillatis”, and depicted so in a figure. There is no mention of wings (air-vesicles), nor are such shown in the drawing. I have myself examined the pollen from dried material and have failed to find the least trace of anything of this nature. Besides the original species (S. sinuosa), one other has since been added to the genus, founded only on a fruiting specimen.
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PARKIN, J. Winged Pollen-grains and Flowering Plants (Angiosperms). Nature 117, 269 (1926). https://doi.org/10.1038/117269a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/117269a0
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