Flora polínica da Área de Proteção Ambiental Serra Branca/Raso da Catarina, Jeremoabo, Bahia, Brasil – Família: Passifloraceae

This study aims to morphologically characterize pollen grains of the Passifloraceae family, occurring in the Serra Branca/Raso da Catarina Environmental Protection Area (EPA), Jeremoabo, Bahia, Brazil, in order to complement the palynological and taxonomic survey carried out in the area, as well as to provide subsidies for developing the EPA management plan. Flower buds were collected from herborized material deposited in the HUNEB Herbarium – Paulo Afonso Collection. The pollen material was acetolyzed, measured and described under optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the Raso da Catarina Ecoregion, the Passifloraceae family is comprised by four species from the genus Passiflora: P. cincinnata Mast., P. foetida L., P. luetzelburgii Harms, and P. setacea DC. All species had large size, 6-syncolpate pollen grains; paired apertures, with three pontopercula and three pseudopercula, reticulate exine with bacula or granules within the large sinuous reticula. The obtained results showed a morphopollinic uniformity, characterizing the genus Passiflora as stenopalynous in the study area.