• Goji, T. C.
• Boni, P.G.,
• Caroline, P

Cola Shott and Endl belongs to the family Sterculiaceae and the name was coined by Schott. and Endl. in 1832. Most Cola species grow in moist environments and they are indigenous to Africa. Fresh flower buds from the field which were later dried and dried specimens from herbaria were used for the study. The methods of acetolysis by Erdtman (1952) and Ayodele (2000) were used to prepare the pollen grains.Observation and study of the pollen grains were done using light microscope. Photomicrographs were taken using Olympus CX31 microscope with a camera attached. The pollen features studied include the surface sculptures, furrows, pores, shape/classes, polar axis and the equatorial diameters. The descriptions were according to Moore et. al., (1991), Erdtman (1952) and Ayodele (2000). Most of the pollen grains were sub-prolate but some were prolate and prolate-spheroidal in shape. Polar axis ranges from 20mµ to 50mµ. The pollen sizes ranged from small to large. The taxa showed three types of pores which were aporate, diporate and triporate. On the other hand, four types of furrows were observed namely; tricolpate, dicolpate, monocolpate and acolpate. The surface sculptures were either scabrate or psilate. The shapes of the pollen grains were either elliptic, circular, oblong or oval. The polar views showed spherical shapes except in Cola marsupium where they were either triangular or spherical.The morphological features of the pollen grains are not sufficient enough to classify or distinguish the Cola species as some features are overlapping. The pollen morphologies when combined with some other features can be very useful in the delimitation of the cola species.

Cola, Pollen, Morphology, Taxonomy, Nigeria

"Comparative Morphological Features of Pollen Grains and Their Significance in The Taxonomy of Seventeen Cola Species in Nigeria ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 3, page no.a6-a14, March-2022, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2203002.pdf

"Comparative Morphological Features of Pollen Grains and Their Significance in The Taxonomy of Seventeen Cola Species in Nigeria ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 3, page no. ppa6-a14, March-2022, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2203002.pdf