Article

A pollen analysis was carried out on 72 samples from six taxa of Genista sects. Acanthospartum and Fasselospartum. The taxa were compared in terms of quantitative and qualitative characters, examined by LM and SEM; the joint use of all characters provides the most complete information. The combined analysis of the pollen characters allows noticing some differences among the taxa. The pollen differences confirm the separation of G. fasselata (an eastern Mediterranean species) from the sect. Acanthospartum and its inclusion in a distinct section, Fasselospartum, as suggested by Gibbs (1966). The results of the present pollen analysis support the distinction of the three species included by Greuter & al. (1989) in G. acanthoclada aggr.: G. acanthoclada (an eastern Mediterranean species), G. sardoa (a Sardinian endemic) and G. valdes-bermejoi (endemic to Mallorca); G. sardoa appears the most distinct species of the aggregate, followed by G. valdes-bermejoi. The releved pollen differences support the subdivision of G. acanthoclada into two subspecies: G. acanthoclada subsp. acanthoclada and G. acanthoclada subsp. echinus, as recognised by Vierhapper (1919). Within Genista acanthoclada subsp. echinus, some pollen differences were found between the two formae (f. rhodica and f. tenuior), described by Vierhapper (1919).