Abstract The pollen of New Zealand Cyperaceae have not been previously identified below family level. However, a recent shift towards studying more ecological detail with greater temporal resolution in palynological research has now led to a demand for greater precision in pollen identification. In this paper we describe the pollen characteristics, mainly grain shape and aperture type, of representatives of each New Zealand Cyperaceae genus. Twelve distinct groups are defined, and a key is provided to assist with their identification, usually either to a genus or to a group of genera described as a particular type.
Keywords apertures; Cyperaceae; exine; key; pollen; sedges; palynology
B02059 Received 8 August 2002; accepted 5 March 2003; published 11 June 2003
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2003, Vol. 41: 325-334
0028-825X/03/4102-0325 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003
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