Article

A pollen analysis of _Genista sect. Cephalospartum has been carried out on 52 samples from eight taxa. The taxa were compared in terms of quantitative and qualitative characters, examined by LM, SEM and TEM. Some taxa are better distinguishable for the quantitative, others for the qualitative characters by LM and SEM; the ultrastructural characters examined by TEM are less significant, but useful in separating some taxa. The joint use of the four groups of characters provides the most complete information. Numerical analysis subdivides taxa into three clusters. Genista umbellata and G. clavata result rather similar and are well distinguishable from the other taxa. G. microcephala, G. microcephala var. tripolitana, G. capitellata and G. quadriflora form a sort of “central grouping” of the section. G. cephalantha and G. demnatensis result more isolated from the other taxa; however, G. cephalantha distinguishes from G. demnatensis for some characters. Section Cephalospartum results rather heterogeneous on the basis of the complex of pollen characters, confirming the heterogeneity already highlighted on the basis of macromorphological and karyological characters, and molecular analysis. The results of the present pollen analysis don’t justfy, however, the separation of the taxa of sect. Cephalospartum into the two sections (Cephalospartum and Lasiospartum) as proposed by some Authors.