Abstract:

Pollen morphology and secondary metabolites of flower of long style type（LST）and short style type（SST）of Forsythia suspense were investigated in this study. Pollen grains were observed using scanning electron microscope；Six components in flower were determined using HPLC；Total phenol content in flower was determined using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent assay. The results showed that the pollen grains were prolate spheroid，subsphaeroidal，and spindle in shape，sub-rounded or 3-lobed-round type in polar view，3-colpate type，sexine ornamentation were reticulate. The influence of growing environment on the size of pollen grains was not significant. The length of polar axis and equator axis of pollen grains of SST was significantly higher（P < 0.05）than that of LST. Content of chemical components in flower could be influenced by growing environment. The content of pinoresinol-β-D-glueoside in flower of LST was significantly higher（P < 0.05）than that of SST.

Key words: Forsythia suspense, heterostyly, pollen morphology, secondary metabolites, scanning electron microscopy, HPLC