Abstract

The exine of Artemisia vulgaris L. is made up of substructures 10-15 nm in diameter. These are parts of units, referred to as tufts, about 100 nm in diameter which extend from the spinules down through the tectum, columellae, foot layer and endexine. They also protrude from the tectum between the spinules. These tufts have coiled binder subunits around them which in normal (axial) surface views usually appear as 'C'-shaped gyres. Our results show that the resistant exine remaining after degradative treatment consists entirely of tufts. We suggest that the portion of the exine removed by oxidation, plasma ashing, and fast atom erosion is extra tuft sporopollenin.

中文摘要

普通艾（菊科）之花粉外壁是由直徑 10-15 nm 的次微細構造所組成，這些是直徑大約100 nm之網叢的部分構造，其從小刺向下延伸經由頂蓋層、柱狀層、基層和外壁內層，其並且亦在小刺之間突出頂蓋層，這些網叢具有螺旋狀環帶之次級構造所圍繞，其在一般之軸面觀察下通常呈現〝C〞型之旋渦。由結果顯示結構堅實之花粉外壁經過分解處理後，只留下完整的網叢，我們認為花粉外壁被氧化、原生質灰化與快速原子瓦解而移除的部分是網叢孢粉質以外的物質。 關鍵詞：普通艾，花粉發育，花粉外壁次微細構造，網叢單位，蠟梅糖。

Keyword: Artemisia vulgaris, Exine substructure, Glycocalyx, Pollen development, Tuft-units,