Article

Gypsophila pilosa Hudson was recently recorded as a weed in reclaimed farmland east of Assiut town (Egypt), previously known from Libya, Palestine, Turkey and Iran. The occurrence of this species in the Nile region of Egypt fills the gap of its distribution between Palestine (Southwest Asia) and Libya (North Africa) and represents the southernmost limit of its distribution. Seed coat sculpture and pollen morphology of Gypsophila pilosa Hudson are investigated by LM and SEM. Epidermal cell patterns, anticlinal cell boundaries, and periclinal cell walls as seen by SEM as well as pollen shape, size, aperture and exine sculpture and structure proved to be of high diagnostic value.