Pollen biodiversity – why are pollen grains different despite having the same function? A review

Abstract The main morphological, cytological and physiological characters of ripe pollen are described, compared, analysed and discussed individually, in multiple combinations and in respect to the female counterpart and the biotic and abiotic components of the environment. This is to try to understand the reasons why pollen grains have the same reproductive function, but at dispersal are morphologically and physiologically different in many respects. The considered characters are: one or more types of grain per species; shape and size; number of cells; types of pollen dispersal unit; sporoderm stratification, furrows, colpori and other kinds of apertures; pollen presentation and array; water content percentage; and mature pollen reserves and osmotics. Some of the pollen features are correlated between themselves, some with the female counterpart or male and female competition, and others with the different components of the environment where the species lives, when it flowers and when pollen presentation occurs.